episode_0045

Serena gazes blankly at the food in front of her.

As expected, she’s hooked.

The lunchbox is filled exclusively with fragrant dishes—Serena’s preferred style—handpicked to cater to her tastes.

In other words, it’s a devilishly crafted lunchbox designed solely to ensnare her.

Just as planned.

“Ah, well…”

Finally noticing our stares, Serena scratches her cheek and continues.

“Let’s just say the aroma was too captivating as I passed by… I’ve never seen food with such a delightful fragrance before.”

“Elraine, do you want to eat together? Junghyun made way too much, so there’s plenty to share.”

“Ahaha…”

At Xiaolin’s question, Serena takes a small step back and lets out a light laugh.

Having observed her for so long, I can tell.

That’s her awkward reaction when she wants to eat the food but dislikes the idea of joining others to socialize.

How wonderfully she’s playing right into my hands.

What a blessing.

“Serena. Now that I think about it, didn’t you say you had something to do during lunch? Is it okay for you to stay here?”

I lay the groundwork so she can make her escape.

Of course, I haven’t spoken to Serena at all today.

In other words, what I just said is pure improvisation—something we never discussed.

But someone as sharp as her would instantly grasp the meaning behind my words.

While saying this, I pull out an empty container I’d prepared in advance from my bag and portion out some of the lunchbox’s contents for her.

“Here. You can eat this later after you finish your business. I packed plenty, so there should be enough.”

Serena, caught off guard by my sudden action, slightly opens her left eye in surprise but soon relaxes into a smile and gives a small nod.

“Ah, thank you, Junghyun. I appreciate you remembering what I said.”

“No need to thank me. Let me know if it was good later.”

As Serena takes the container from me, she gives Xiaolin and Ume a small nod before whispering to me in a hushed voice:

“Quite the smooth move, huh?”

Her whispering voice tickles my ear, sending a small shiver down my spine.

By the time I regain my composure, she’s already far away, exiting through the back gate.

Her steps seem lighter, as though she’s in a good mood.

“That was strange.”

“What was?”

“Miss Elraine seems comfortable talking with Junghyun, even if she keeps her guard up with others. Are you two really not involved somehow?”

Xiaolin narrows her eyes and scrutinizes me.

Sadly, as of now, there’s nothing between us.

That’ll change in the future, though.

“What? We’re just normal classmates.”

“There’s definitely something going on. Are you secretly part of the Elraine family? Or is Miss Elraine actually your lover? Ume, what do you think?”

“Hmm… Both are interesting theories, but neither seems particularly realistic. Still, nice attempt. After all, fresh ideas are what change the world, right?”

Ume smiles and lightly reprimands Xiaolin for her nonsense.

Xiaolin’s cat ears fold slightly, as if expressing her frustration.

“Tch, fine. I don’t even care. I’ll just ask Miss Elraine directly once I get close to her.”

With that, Xiaolin picks up her chopsticks and moves them toward her lunchbox—

“Ahem!”

—No, she’s aiming for my lunchbox instead.

Even if she’s annoyed, she can’t resist my food, huh?

“Hands off.”

“What?! You gave some to Miss Elraine, so why can’t I have any?”

“Just kidding. Go ahead. I’ll try some of yours too.”

“Ugh, you’re seriously irritating.”

Grumbling, Xiaolin carefully picks up a bite of basil pesto pasta with her chopsticks and eats it.

Then—

“……”

She freezes, her eyes widening as she chews silently.

Ah.

Scratch that—saying she has no reaction is wrong.

Now I notice her pupils trembling fiercely.

There’s no way a dish made by my Chef persona would taste bad, so I’ll take this as awe.

“Ume, want to try some too?”

“If you’re offering, I won’t decline.”

Ume picks up a bite of salad with her chopsticks.

Despite being a wolf beastkin, why does she always go for the veggies first?

“Mmm~ The crisp, fresh texture is exquisite. It’s almost like I can feel my strength surging.”

That’s probably not just your imagination.

Since dishes cooked by my Chef persona randomly grant buffs infused with magic.

Maybe she got a strength enhancement or something?

Contemplating this, I take a bite of the pasta myself.

“Hmm.”

A fragrant, savory flavor with a subtle nutty undertone—absolutely enticing.

Even though I tasted it earlier at dawn, it still feels new.

Maybe I should seriously consider opening a restaurant.

“…Junghyun.”

At that moment, Xiaolin, who had been quietly chewing with her mouth shut, calls my name.

Then, grabbing my hand abruptly, she blurts out:

“Seriously, wanna marry me? I could spend my whole life with you if your cooking came included!”

“Ah, is that so?”

Just another one of Xiaolin’s meaningless ramblings.

“Ugghhh… Finally, it’s over.”

The last lecture of the day concludes.

Today’s lessons stuck in my head a little easier than usual.

Seems like borrowing my Exam-Taker persona during class sped up my thinking somewhat.

From now on, I should switch to that persona for theory lectures.

“Good work today.”

“Yeah. You too, Ume.”

“Are you heading to the training grounds again?”

“Of course. What about you? Got another part-time job?”

“Yes. Well then, I’ll excuse myself first. Junghyun, stay safe on your way back.”

“Yep. You too.”

I give a small wave as Ume stands up and leaves ahead of me.

I usually linger in the classroom as everyone else rushes out.

I’m not fond of crowds, and this way, fewer people pester me for photos on the way home.

As I watch the swarm of students push through the back gate, I stretch out the stiffness from sitting through lectures.

Or at least, I try to.

“Junghyun.”

Because Serena walks right up to my desk.

I force my gaze away from her slightly unbuttoned blouse and ask,

“Need something?”

“Thank you for today. You really helped me out of a sticky situation back there—handled it so smoothly.”

As she says this, Serena places the empty container on my desk.

“Thanks to you, I could eat in peace without worrying about others. The food was amazing—never had anything quite so delightful before.”

Well, duh.

I stuffed it full of your favorite stuff. Of course you’d love it.

I stow the container in my bag and reply,

“Glad you liked it.”

“Even my family’s head chef couldn’t make something like that. So, about earlier… I have a request.”

Naturally seating herself in Ume’s chair—right beside me—she props her chin on her hand and says,

“Did you really prepare that lunchbox yourself?”

“Yep.”

“I see. Well, let’s cut to the chase—beating around the bush is tiresome.”

She meets my eyes—though I can’t see hers behind those half-lidded lashes—and asks outright:

“If it’s not too much to ask, could you prepare my lunches from now on? Don’t worry, I’ll compensate you fairly.”

I internally cheer at Serena’s proposition.

Her making such an offer means she now sees me as more than just another classmate.

The hardest hurdle has been cleared.

“Hmm. I’m not exactly strapped for cash, though.”

“Compensation doesn’t have to be monetary. Just tell me what you’d want from me—that simple, right?”

Still resting her chin on her hand, she tilts her head and continues,

“So, Junghyun, what do you want from me? Magic stones? Artifacts? Or perhaps… something too indecent to say outright?”

Her voice tingles against my ear.

Faced with this provocatively phrased question, I answer without hesitation.

“Train with me after school every day.”

“Oh? Now that’s an answer I didn’t expect.”

Her pitch rises ever so slightly.

Outwardly, she seems unfazed, but she must be very thrown off.

She probably never imagined I’d ask her to train together after giving her an opening to name her terms.

There’s a reason I suggested the training halls.

Staying just as her lunch provider would never be enough to change her.

So, I plan to use this opportunity to steadily deepen our relationship through consistent interaction.

Training together means more chances to talk—and eventually, grow closer.

“So, you against it?”

“I’ve got time to spare. If that’s all you want, then sure—I’m grateful.”

Of course, Serena has no way of knowing my intentions, but since this isn’t a bad deal for her, she seems willing to roll with it.

“How long were you thinking?”

About to reply instantly, I stop myself.

I only planned on an hour of training with her, but if I say that outright, the sly Serena might try to haggle it down.

So, let’s start high.

“Two hours. Sound good?”

“Eh? Too much. How about a clean one-hour session?”

Just as expected—she’s already bargaining.

“Deal. Looking forward to it. Should we head to the training grounds now?”

I nod while standing up.

Serena seems briefly surprised I accepted so readily, but soon slips back into her usual languid smile as she rises.

“Ahaha, ruthlessly efficient as ever. Well, I did freeload off your lunch today, so I suppose I’ve got nowhere to run.”

We leave the now-empty classroom together.

From Class A to the training halls takes about five minutes.

As we walk, I ponder what topics to bring up during the trip.

“By the way, Junghyun.”

Serena suddenly breaks the silence.

“Something just occurred to me—mind if I ask you one more thing?”

A question from Serena?

Hmm. Maybe she’s wondering what ingredients I used in the pasta today?

If not, I can’t begin to guess.

“Go ahead.”

I nod in response.

“Junghyun.”

She looks me dead in the eye as she speaks.

“Do you… like me?”

…Huh?

Where did that come from?