In the bright student council activity room, Zhong Xinya happily put down her phone.
As expected, stuffing Big Brother’s bento full of bitter melon had been the correct choice.
Hmph hmph~~ Although people said boys’ hearts were a little narrower, Xinya’s heart, which worried about Big Brother’s safety, was by no means inferior, you know?
“Hmph hmph~~ Hmph hmph~~” Thinking of Zhong Siji eating the full box of bento she made with a worried frown, Zhong Xinya couldn’t help humming a tune.
“Um, President? The meeting…”
Looking at the student council president who had already lost all sense of heaven and earth, one of the members finally couldn’t hold back and weakly raised a hand.
“Eh? Ahhhhh, yes… the meeting. Then let’s continue with the next agenda…”
Although she recovered quickly, the thought that her earlier appearance had been seen clearly by so many people present made even Zhong Xinya, who could keep her big brother completely under control, turn bright red.
The members present looked at each other and all thought the same thing in their hearts: “Looks like it’s about the president’s big brother.”
***
“We’re here. This is it.”
On the other side, Zhong Siji finally brought the uneasy Yan Yanyan and Xu Runhui to the destination of this trip………
“Fei… Zi… Ke… Lan Department Store Supermarket. Classmate Siji, you brought us here to……”
Xu Runhui read the somewhat awkward supermarket name one character at a time.
Yan Yanyan said, “If we’re going to a supermarket, why not go to the Vitality Supermarket on the closer Tide Street? That one is clearly larger and has more products, right?”
“There are too many Taogu students over there. If acquaintances saw the two of you walking together with me, it would cause you trouble, right?”
“Cause trouble… By the way, those things circulating about Classmate Siji at school are rumors after all, right?”
Xu Runhui continued to ask.
“Hehe, I already knew that~~” Yan Yanyan brushed her hair behind her ear at those words, though who knew what she was so proud of.
Zhong Siji looked at her a little unexpectedly. This person has already gotten this close to Xu Runhui?
Well, just like the boys before the world changed, sharing hardships really was the best way to deepen friendship between people.
“Mm, they’re all rumors. I also don’t know why, only a few weeks into the school year, there are already so many outrageous rumors about me.”
“Then being unilaterally dumped by a girlfriend of three years is also………?”
“Ah, that one’s a rumor too. I’ve never even dated, so where would a three-year girlfriend come from?”
Leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!! Xu Runhui’s heart roared wildly. Thank you! Thank you Jesus, Buddha, the Virgin Mary, the Jade Emperor, and Guanyin Bodhisattva! Classmate Siji! Classmate Siji! Has never dated!
Although a storm of huge waves had already risen in her heart, on her face Xu Runhui displayed the calm of Mount Tai collapsing before her without changing color.
“Is that so? Those people spreading rumors are really too bad.”
She already had the air of a great general.
Yan Yanyan, on the other hand, lightly raised an eyebrow.
She already knew this. What she cared about now was: what exactly was that thing Classmate Siji said he couldn’t let go of?
He really was a man full of mysteries. She was growing more and more interested.
Zhong Siji naturally had no idea what the two demon pills in front of him were thinking.
He only knew that if he had come all this way and didn’t finish the business quickly, even if he had reported in advance, that girl Xinya would not let him off easily once it got dark and he returned home.
“We’ve gone off topic. Although I said it’s punishment, it’s actually also a request for help. I’m not the type to force others, so if you don’t want to do this, you can quit at any time. Even now is fine.”
Yan Yanyan and Xu Runhui exchanged a glance at those words.
In each other’s eyes there was no word of giving up, so the result was already very obvious.
“Classmate Siji, just say it. As long as there’s something I can help with, I’ll do my best.”
Xu Runhui’s eyes were wide open, full of sincere desire to be of help.
“We’ve already come this far. Is there still any possibility of turning back?”
That weird girl Yan Yanyan was still saying weird things.
Looking at how determined the two of them were, Zhong Siji nodded.
He took a deep breath and finally stated the purpose of this trip: “Every day, come with me to the supermarket and pick out the ingredients for one dish you want to eat, then hand them to me. The next day I’ll bring the bento made with them to school. Your job is to act as my taste testers until I can make the bentos properly…… Ahem, I know this is putting you in a difficult position, but I….. I’ll do my best to make them delicious! So…. is that okay?”
In Zhong Siji’s view this was indeed quite difficult for them.
After all, what delicious food could a complete beginner make?
Being able to swallow it would already be good, not to mention it might make one lose all appetite just from looking at it.
But Xu Runhui and Yan Yanyan’s reactions far exceeded his expectations.
“You’ve finished talking about the reward. What about the punishment?”
That was Yan Yanyan.
“I-I-I-I-I, can I eat the first bento Classmate Siji makes!” That was Xu Runhui.
“Aren’t you two misunderstanding something? I’m asking you to be taste testers for me, a complete beginner, you know? Honestly, even I don’t know what kind of thing will come out in the end, you know?”
After all, making bentos couldn’t be done the way he used to—just throwing everything in to boil together.
He really didn’t know how Xinya had always eaten them with such relish.
Yan Yanyan and Xu Runhui exchanged another glance and said in unison, “So……….. what about the punishment?”
Zhong Siji: “…………………….”
“If you regret it later I won’t care, okay?”
“Why would we regret it?” ×2
Looking at the two of them full of expectation, Zhong Siji suddenly thought in his heart, Should I really deliberately make something bad-tasting for them to try, just to see what evaluation they give…
“Hurry up, Classmate Siji. How long are you going to stand here?”
“Success is built from failure. Do your best, Classmate Siji!”
Zhong Siji suddenly felt a little moved.
They weren’t even that familiar with him yet, yet they were even more enthusiastic than he was. What good people!
“Mm! I’ll do my best!”
What he didn’t know was that the two people in front of him were no longer themselves. Right now they were only………..
“Guhehehehe~~”
Beasts who longed to eat a boy’s first-ever bento.
And not far away on the street, two girls wearing Taogu uniforms ignored the strange gazes around them as they held binoculars and observed Zhong Siji and the other two.
“Target spotted ahead. A-Yu A-Yu, received, please reply!”
“………Young Miss, do we really have to use binoculars? I somehow feel like everyone is looking at us…”
“This is what makes it professional, A-Yu. If you want to become a superhuman, you must learn to ignore the gazes of ordinary people, understand? Hurry up and reply ‘received.’”
“………Received.”
Only that “received” somehow sounded rather miserable.