What a contrast

Early the next morning, dawn had barely broken, and thin morning mist still lingered between the buildings of Jujutsu High. The air was crisp and slightly cool.

Qingxiao got up early, washed the ingredients he had asked for from the cafeteria the night before, and took out the cookware provided in his dorm. Drawing on the preferences he had remembered from yesterday's chat, he set about making breakfast with practiced ease.

"Shoko has the same tastes as me, huh? Then I'll make a few things I'm good at."

Having lived alone for several years, Qingxiao was a good cook. After all, knowing how to cook really did save money. Most importantly, finding a restaurant that served low-fat, low-salt, high-protein food that suited his tastes was genuinely difficult.

He carefully packed a clear vegetable soup, lightly seasoned side dishes made with little oil, and soft, non-greasy flatbreads into meal containers. Putting the lids on, Qingxiao strode out of his dorm.

Carrying the warm food box, he waited below Shoko's dorm.

Before long, Shoko stepped out of her dorm into the morning light. She had clearly gotten up in a hurry. Her black hair was slightly disheveled, her eyes were not fully open, and she was still drowsy from sleep, her face veiled with morning weariness.

When she looked up and saw Qingxiao standing quietly beneath the covered walkway, she paused. Her half-open eyes widened a little, clearly not having expected to run into him here.

"What are you doing here? This early?" Shoko instinctively raised a hand to rub the corners of her sleepy eyes, her voice soft with morning drowsiness.

"Waiting to go to class with you." Qingxiao took a step forward and held the food box out to her, his tone natural and gentle. "You haven't had breakfast yet, have you?"

Shoko hesitantly accepted the food box, clearly still processing things. Often staying up late, she had no habit of eating breakfast, but looking at the food box right in front of her, she could hardly help feeling hungry.

"Thanks, Gu Yue. You're a lifesaver."

She sat down on a nearby stone bench beneath the covered walkway and gently lifted the lid. A faint, savory aroma slowly spread-the light flavors she liked best.

She pressed her palms together and murmured softly, "Let's eat."

Shoko picked up a small piece of flatbread with her fingertips and chewed it carefully in little bites, her cheeks puffing out slightly as her eyes narrowed with happiness. She ate at a leisurely pace, thoroughly enjoying the light, refreshing food.

Watching the girl's adorable expression, Qingxiao could not help shouting inwardly, Guys, I really like this one!

Her morning drowsiness gradually faded as she ate. She looked up at Qingxiao, her eyes curving slightly. "No wonder you were asking about my tastes yesterday."

"Thanks for going to all that trouble, buying me breakfast so early in the morning. It's delicious."

Watching her eat with her cheeks puffed out, Qingxiao replied as though seeking praise, "I didn't buy it. I got up and made it myself this morning."

Shoko froze. She instinctively stopped eating, her eyes widening slightly, her cheeks still full. "You can cook, too? I wouldn't have guessed."

"Don't underestimate me. I'm good at all sorts of things!"

"I wasn't. It's just such a contrast, Gu Yue. You're all muscles, yet you can cook such delicious food."

"Those two things don't conflict, do they?"

"That's true."

The two chatted like that beneath the quiet covered walkway in the early morning, going from ways to prepare ingredients and how much seasoning to use to their eating habits and little everyday things from before they enrolled. The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.

Meanwhile, at the entrance to the boys' dorm.

Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto came to meet Qingxiao on time so they could head to class together, only to discover that he was not in his dorm at all.

Satoru Gojo knocked several times without getting an answer. He scratched his head, looking thoroughly puzzled. "Weird. Where did he go? Has he gone missing?"

Then he called out loudly, "Hey, hey, hey! If you don't come out, I'm using the Six Eyes!"

With that, Satoru Gojo turned to Suguru Geto. "What the heck? He's not even here."

Suguru Geto also looked around, frowning slightly. "There's no one in his room, and I don't see him anywhere nearby. Surely he didn't head off early on his own."

The two searched the surrounding area several times but found no sign of Qingxiao. With class about to start, they could only head toward the classroom building, still puzzled.

As they neared the entrance to the classroom building, their eyes instantly locked onto two figures walking side by side ahead.

Morning light fell across the path. Qingxiao walked at an unhurried pace on one side, carrying the empty food box, with Shoko beside him. The two walked slowly together, talking about something in low voices, the atmosphere easy and harmonious.

Satoru Gojo's eyes instantly lit up, and he grabbed Suguru Geto and darted into the shadows.

"Seriously, that guy ditched us to go find Ieiri! Do you think..." At that, a grin of gleeful curiosity spread across Satoru Gojo's face.

"It's not very nice to gossip about someone else's private life like that..." Though Suguru Geto said that, his curious expression betrayed his true thoughts.

As Qingxiao and Shoko drew close, Satoru Gojo slowly stepped out and teased them in a drawn-out voice. "Ohhh! So the person we spent all that time looking for sneaked off to spend time alone with Shoko! No wonder there wasn't a soul in his dorm. Putting romance before friendship, Gu Yue!"

Suguru Geto's eyes held a smile as he added, "I was wondering why we couldn't find you. Turns out you'd already paired up. Were you planning to ditch us?"

Teased openly by the two of them, Qingxiao flushed slightly and looked away a little awkwardly, stubbornly insisting, "We just happened to run into each other and were heading the same way. What do you mean, putting romance before friendship? It's nothing like that."

Looking at the boy whose cheeks had flushed slightly from their teasing, Shoko's lips curved up a little, and a thought slowly surfaced: What a contrast.

The tips of Shoko's ears had also quietly turned a faint red. "You're so noisy first thing in the morning. You two have way too much energy. If we don't get going, we'll be late."

"Fine, fine. We'll let you off for now. Let's hurry." Satoru Gojo stepped forward and rested a hand on Qingxiao's shoulder.

Talking and laughing along the way, they walked into the classroom at an easy pace, accompanied by the gentle morning breeze.