On Tuesday, the bell signaling the lunch break rang leisurely through Jinguji High School. Students rushed out of their classrooms, laughing and horsing around as they headed for the cafeteria, while others pushed desks together in groups or found quiet spots around campus to enjoy their boxed lunches.
Uchiha Naruto walked into the cafeteria with Tanaka Hikaru, carrying a two-tier lunch box.
Takasaki Tsuki had waited for him at the school gate that morning and slipped it to him out of the other students' sight, thanking him for helping Takasaki Anzu out of trouble the night before.
Takasaki Tsuki was a pretty good cook. Besides, someone had given him a free meal. Why let it go to waste?
The lunch box had still been slightly warm when he took it, but after a whole morning, it had cooled completely. Uchiha Naruto wasn't like the other students who enjoyed eating ice-cold boxed lunches.
The school cafeteria had microwaves, so he could heat it up there.
By the time Uchiha Naruto had heated his lunch and sat down to eat, Tanaka Hikaru had already brought over a tempura set meal and settled beside him with practiced ease.
He opened the lunch box. One tier held meatballs, fried chikuwa, grilled mackerel pieces, dressed burdock root, and other side dishes. The other was packed with rice, sprinkled with seaweed seasoning.
"Uchiha, since when did you start bringing a boxed lunch? From the looks of it, a girl made that. Don't tell me you betrayed the single life and secretly got yourself a girlfriend?" Tanaka Hikaru asked, his eyes wide with surprise.
"I actually just bought this at the convenience store near my place," Uchiha Naruto said casually.
He couldn't be bothered to care whether Tanaka Hikaru believed him and simply picked up his chopsticks.
She must have seen how much he ate in the cooking classroom, because this lunch was generously packed, with plenty of food.
"A convenience-store lunch?"
Tanaka Hikaru's small eyes darted around, disbelief written all over his face.
"I'll give you this precious fried shrimp. Let me try one of your meatballs!"
"No need. If you want some, just help yourself."
Seeing that Tanaka Hikaru hadn't used his chopsticks yet, Uchiha Naruto gave his permission without much concern.
"Very nice. A plump, firm texture, and the juices burst into your mouth with every bite. Thirty percent fat, seventy percent lean, with a little crunch when you chew. There are water chestnuts in it."
Tanaka Hikaru reached over with his chopsticks, picked up a meatball, and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing heartily.
"This flavor is good, very good. Most importantly, there's no taste of romance. Looks like you haven't betrayed your brother and escaped the single life after all, Uchiha."
After finishing the meatball, Tanaka Hikaru delivered his satisfied appraisal like a gourmet.
"That tastes pretty good. Let me try a piece of mackerel, too. Fish is my favorite."
Tanaka Hikaru reached over again and took a piece of grilled mackerel. The moment it entered his mouth, his brows furrowed.
"The flavor's average. Quite a step down from that meatball. It almost doesn't seem like the same person made them. But these feelings..."
As he carefully chewed the mackerel, a complicated expression appeared on Tanaka Hikaru's face.
"There's shy gratitude in it, and a young girl's romantic feelings seem to have just begun to bloom. Uchiha, you really did get yourself a girlfriend!"
Uchiha Naruto didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Tanaka Hikaru, do you think you have some divine tongue that can even taste emotions in food? Who do you think you are, the protagonist of a cooking anime?
Food either tastes good or tastes bad. What feelings? That so-called taste of Mom's cooking is just a familiar flavor from your memories.
Shaking his head, Uchiha Naruto picked up a meatball and took a bite. It really was good, with a home-cooked flavor enhanced by subtle touches that left a lingering savor.
Remembering Tanaka Hikaru's words, he tried some grilled mackerel as well. Yes, just as Tanaka Hikaru had said, it was very ordinary. It was also slightly overcooked, leaving it dry and tough.
It was clearly a notch below the food he had tried before. Had Takasaki Tsuki messed this one up?
It was still edible, anyway. Uchiha Naruto had never been particularly concerned about flavor. He picked up the lunch box and polished off its contents.
Once he had eaten his fill, he listened to Tanaka Hikaru chatter away about nonsense, such as how his files on every girl in the school were progressing by leaps and bounds, and how he would soon have all their measurements at his fingertips.
"How much do you know about Matsudaira Chiyo in the second year?"
Tanaka Hikaru was fairly well informed, so he was bound to know more.
"Matsudaira? She's an unattainable beauty, a genuine lady from a distinguished family!"
This subject really fired Tanaka Hikaru up. His eyes shone as he launched into an endless stream of words.
"Matsudaira is an incredibly distinguished surname. If we went back three hundred years, when the Tokugawa Shogunate still ruled, someone of her noble blood would have been entitled to put 'Princess' before her name. Commoners like us would have had to get down and lower our heads whenever her carriage passed."
Matsudaira?
Uchiha Naruto hadn't done particularly well in the Island Nation's history, but he knew a little about the Tokugawa Shogunate. That old turtle Tokugawa Family Ieyasu had originally borne the surname Matsudaira.
"You mean that Matsudaira? The surname only kinship daimyo could use?"
After that old turtle Tokugawa had taken control of the country, domain lords related by blood to the Tokugawa Family were known as kinship daimyo. Only the most closely related branches, the Three Noble Houses and the Three Lords, were permitted to use Tokugawa as their surname. The other related houses could only use the old surname, Matsudaira.
If that was true, Matsudaira Chiyo really was quite the young heiress.
Still, Uchiha Naruto didn't think it was anything special. A fallen phoenix was worse off than a chicken. After the Meiji Restoration, even the Tokugawa Family had lost its central position of power. Following more than a century of upheaval, even the main Tokugawa house, the Three Noble Houses, and the Three Lords had declined, let alone their branch families.
"Not only is Matsudaira of noble blood, with fair skin and beautiful looks, but most importantly, an heiress like her actually has a kind heart. She was already famous for helping people back at Jinguji Junior High School. According to my mother, a lot of the grants and scholarships at Jinguji Junior and Senior High Schools were established at her suggestion."
"Why are you suddenly asking about her, Uchiha? Did you fall for her at first sight? Even a handsome guy like you would have a hard time winning her over," Tanaka Hikaru asked curiously.
Uchiha Naruto skipped the circumstances and simply said that Matsudaira Chiyo had invited him to join the Support Club.
"What kind of school rom-com setup is this?! A boy and a girl alone in one room! Why doesn't anything that good ever happen to me? I want to marry my way out of thirty years of hard work, too. Can handsome guys really get away with anything?"
Tanaka Hikaru was already grinding his teeth with envy, his eyes practically bulging out. He slapped the table, looking as though he wanted to devour Uchiha alive.
"Then how about I introduce you and get you into the Support Club, too?"
"Really?!"
"Of course. We're friends, aren't we? There are only two people in the club, so they probably need more help. Even if you can't join, the Support Club's purpose is to help students. Tanaka, I'd say you're someone in desperate need of help. Not having a girlfriend must be pretty rough, right? But you're already in the Kyudo Club. Is that going to be a problem?"
"Forget the Kyudo Club. I've wanted to quit for ages. Uchiha, you really are my brother-no, you're the parents who gave me a second life!" Tanaka Hikaru declared emotionally, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.
Judging by his expression, if they hadn't been in a busy cafeteria, Tanaka Hikaru might have prostrated himself before Uchiha to thank him.
"Come on. There's still some time before lunch break ends. President Matsudaira should still be in the activities building. No time like the present."
Uchiha got to his feet and led the way outside, with an impatient Tanaka Hikaru following close behind.
"Uchiha, if I manage to join, I'll treat you to a feast this weekend."
They arrived at Room 501 of the Club Activities Building. Uchiha Naruto gave the door a casual knock, waited a few seconds for a reply, then pushed it open and walked in.
The girl sat behind the enormous mahogany desk, wearing rimless glasses with black arms and writing something with a serious expression.
"Uchiha, it's not even time for our after-school club activities, and you're already so eager to see me. Could you be the tsundere type?"
Matsudaira Chiyo looked up and gave Uchiha a charming smile. A breeze drifted through the half-open window, stirring her long black hair.
Tanaka Hikaru stared, completely dazed.
Seeing his reaction, Matsudaira Chiyo shifted her gaze, and her smile grew more subdued.
"Who is this vacant-looking boy?"
Tanaka Hikaru's face flushed red. He swallowed with difficulty several times, opening and closing his mouth without managing a word.
Uchiha Naruto hadn't expected someone as glib as Tanaka Hikaru to become so timid and tongue-tied when it mattered.
"Ahem. This is my classmate, Tanaka Hikaru from Class B. He heard I'd joined the Support Club and came along to take a look. He's had a major problem ever since he was born and needs help," Uchiha Naruto said with a light cough.
"Oh my, did I forget to mention this yesterday? The Support Club isn't accepting requests from boys at the moment."
Matsudaira Chiyo scrutinized Tanaka Hikaru for a while, then said with a soft laugh, "If it's a problem you've had since birth, perhaps you should consider starting life over with a new character."
"Tanaka isn't a client. He wants to join the club. He's knowledgeable, well informed, and has an excellent memory. He also enjoys helping his fellow students, which fits perfectly with the Support Club's purpose. He has the talents you're missing, President, so I'd like to recommend him."
"Since you're recommending him, Uchiha, I'll give him a chance. Please step outside first. I'd like to interview Tanaka alone."
"Uchiha..."
Tanaka Hikaru was already thinking of backing out. He cast a pleading look at Uchiha Naruto, who patted his shoulder, whispered, "Good luck," and left the clubroom.
Once outside, Uchiha Naruto naturally wasn't going to lean against the door and eavesdrop. He took out his phone and idly scrolled through a few pages.
One news item caught his attention.
"The Ground Self-Defense Forces are conducting military exercises today in Yamanashi Prefecture, next to Tokyo?"
I realized we've reached a hundred thousand characters, and the protagonist still hasn't drawn blood. He's only killed a few small-fry monsters. I'm going to pick up the pace next and let him go on a killing spree.
Qidian is way too competitive these days, especially in a deathtrap category like light novels. Every author who started around the same time is more impressive than the last. All I can do is beg you to keep reading and add this to your favorites.
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