People bring their own maids to the training camp

"So Sudo hasn't fully reflected on his actions. He's still essentially the same guy who always tries to solve everything with his fists." Chihaya sneered. "If Sudo were even slightly sane, he would have responded to provocations by talking to the ball on the court, either through one-on-one or by shooting threes and comparing free throws. There are plenty of ways to respond. But he chose to use his fists. It just goes to show that some people are so used to being barbaric that they've forgotten they have a brain."

"You're really not being polite, because he almost rang the bell?"

"Does it matter?"

“Since you seem to like Suzune quite a bit, I’ve been thinking about whether Suzune or Ichinose should marry into the family first.” Hayasaka finished speaking and pointed to the carpet next to the bed. “That carpet hasn’t been used even once yet. I’m waiting for a really exciting free-for-all!”

"Eat, then go to class." Chihaya rolled her eyes at Hayasaka. "What are you thinking about all day?"

"Of course, it's to help the Mikado family expand!" Hayasaka said confidently, puffing out his chest. "If you need it, I can help you with the Saudi citizenship application. Many wealthy people have gone through this process, so it's very simple."

"...Are you really not afraid my father will beat me to death?"

"No, even if the patriarch disagrees verbally, he probably secretly hopes to have five or six grandchildren around him."

"Hmph, then it would be best to just annoy him to death."

"At the current pace, I feel that Suzune's progress is faster, since it seems that Ichinose's efforts are not going in the right direction," Hayasaka commented. "Speaking of which, you've been putting Karuizawa aside for a long time. Should we push her personal route? I feel that silly girl is easier to conquer."

Can't we even eat this in peace?! Chihaya was filled with grief and indignation.

104. Horikita Suzune's Bento Box

Noon on the 1st.

Although the points for the first grade were not distributed on time last month for unknown reasons, all three classes (A, B, and C) had a considerable number of points, except for Class D which had zero points the previous month. Therefore, the failure to distribute the points on time was not a particularly special reason for Class B.

This reassured the students in Class B after Fanbo, who was well-informed, said that the conflict between Classes C and D was the cause. After all, they hadn't done anything that would affect the class's points.

Therefore, when the morning classes ended, the students naturally chose to eat lunch on their own.

These can be roughly divided into three factions.

The largest group naturally went to the cafeteria for meals, which not only offered a wide variety of dishes but also provided good quality food at reasonable prices. The only downside was that it required traveling a certain distance.

The second group consists of those who cook for themselves. They prepare their own lunchboxes for the next day and eat them during lunch break. Sometimes, if they're lucky, they can even share a table and eat in the classroom.

The third group is the convenience store group, who buy bread, rice balls, and other similar items to fill their stomachs. This is the simplest, most convenient, and cheapest option.

Generally speaking, Chihaya and Hayasaka are both cafeteria enthusiasts who eat lunch in the cafeteria and cook for themselves in the evening.

Chihaya doesn't have the habit of eating cold food, and finding a microwave to reheat food at noon is not only troublesome but also affects the taste. Therefore, Chihaya prefers to choose things like rice balls or bread rather than making her own bento for lunch.

Although she wasn't particularly pampered, Chihaya still had some personal quirks, such as not liking to eat cold rice.

However, during lunchtime, Chihaya pulled a bento box out of her desk drawer—a move that shocked Honami, who had turned to call Chihaya to go to the cafeteria together.

"Chihaya actually ate lunch?!" Honami's cute face was filled with shock. She had never seen Chihaya eat lunch during the two months they sat at the same table.

"Waaah, there's nothing I can do. Last month's points didn't come through, and Chihaya is completely broke and can't afford to go to the cafeteria..." Hayasaka choked back tears, wiping away non-existent ones.

"So, does your older sister live off the food stored in the refrigerator?" Net Warehouse asked.

"That's it."

"So you don't have points to eat in the cafeteria, but you still have points to buy ingredients?" Fanbo asked.

"Ahem, the lady at the supermarket saw that Chihaya was pretty and gave it to her for free!"

"It's obviously fake!" NetWarehouse said. "It's one thing if it's elsewhere, but it's impossible for it to be at our school!"

"How do you know it's fake if you haven't even seen it?" Hayasaka retorted confidently. "Asaki-kun, I'm not lying!"

"Aren't you guys hungry?" Chihaya looked at Hayasaka's antics with great helplessness. "I didn't make this myself, Suzune from Class D made it."

"Horikita from Class D? Their Class D points should be even tighter, right? How come she can still make bento boxes for Himegami?" Amakura asked, puzzled.

"Actually, supermarkets also offer free ingredients," Chihaya explained. "If Amakura goes, Auntie will give you some too."

"President, you're really good at twisting the facts." Netkura glanced at Hayasaka, who was grinning beside her. "But never mind, let's hurry to the cafeteria."

"Okay, Ichinose-san, shall we come too?"

"Yes, I'll go." Honami nodded. "Looks like Chihaya will be dining alone today."

"I'll tell Suzune about this later," Chihaya said, looking quite troubled. "But she made it especially for me, so I don't feel comfortable giving it to anyone else..."

"That's true, but why would Horikita-kun suddenly make a bento for Chihaya?"

"I guess it's because I did her a small favor before? Actually, I didn't think it was necessary, but she just handed me the lunchbox this morning."

"This is what they call 'the hardest thing to bear is a beautiful woman's kindness.' Chihaya, you can eat slowly, but you have to finish it all, okay?" After saying that, Hayasaka pulled Amakura away.

Honami gave Chihaya a sympathetic look, then clenched his fist and made a "good luck" gesture before following Hayasaka and the other two.

Chihaya smiled helplessly and then dealt with the bento box in front of her.

It's true that the supermarket gives away ingredients for free, but the ingredients don't include meat. So, the bento that Suzune made for Chihaya didn't have much meat, and there was basically no fried food, but it looked delicious.

For Class D, when they first enrolled, many students would buy bread or other snacks for lunch at the store. However, now, in order to save points, the overwhelming majority of students go to the student cafeteria for free meals.

Based on Chihaya's understanding of Horikita Suzune, the latter probably disliked the cafeteria being too noisy, especially during the lunch rush. Furthermore, people who cook for themselves are often a bit picky about taste, so cooking for themselves is the best option.

Although the food tasted great, Chihaya still hoped that Suzune wouldn't make him bento boxes anymore, because he preferred hot food.

Just as Chihaya was leisurely eating her bento, a girl came over.

"Um, Princess-kun!"

Chihaya looked up when she heard the voice and saw that it was Chihiro Shiranami.

"Good day, Shiraha-kun." Chihaya gave a business-like smile. "Didn't you go to the cafeteria with Honami and the others?"

"I brought my own lunch today, so I didn't go to the cafeteria."

As expected, Chihaya noticed that the other person was holding a bento box.

"Does Shiraha-kun also like cooking? Maybe we can exchange ideas next time?" Chihaya said with a smile.

"Can I sit here with you?" Shiraha asked timidly, pointing to Honami's seat in front of Chihaya.

“Of course, I think Honami definitely won’t mind, right?” Chihaya agreed on Honami’s behalf.

Although only Hayasaka and Honami use Chihaya's name when addressing her in Class B, Honami and the other girls also call each other by their names. For example, Honami calls Shiranami Chihiro-chan.

"Okay." Hearing that Chihaya didn't refuse, Shiraha seemed relieved and carefully sat down in Fanbo's chair, looking like she was trying something out but didn't dare to exert any force.

Then Shiraha opened his bento box—judging from the dishes, it was indeed much more luxurious than the Suzune version bento box that Chihaya had.

After all, Class B had a relatively high number of points, even after collecting class fees, they still had far more than Class D.

"W-Could you please try the taste and give me your suggestions?"

“Of course! I’d love to.” Chihaya readily agreed.

105. Bai Bo wants to cook.

Chihaya is actually quite picky about food, so apart from eating lunch at the cafeteria, she either cooks her own meals or Hayasaka cooks them.

Chihiro's bento box was indeed quite luxurious, but the taste was just average, with nothing particularly memorable.

To be more objective, Bai Bo's cooking skills are at the level of a housewife who needs time to hone her craft.

If you're hoping to win someone over with a bento box, this level of skill is definitely not enough. However, if it's a mutual attraction, the taste of the bento box becomes secondary.

Chihaya then decided to ask the other party why they wanted her guidance.

"Does Shiraha want to improve her cooking skills?" Chihaya asked. "Is it because you're not used to the cafeteria food? Or is there someone you'd like to try your cooking?"

"Um, that..." Bai Bo immediately became shy.

It seems to be the second scenario; Chihaya grasped the situation instantly.

Bai Bo was someone I'd known for since the start of the semester. Although everyone was quite outgoing in the girls' group, Bai Bo wasn't as composed as Wang Cang when it came to boys.

If a girl likes someone, it's most likely not a mutual affection, but rather a one-sided crush.

Bai Bo definitely has no dating experience, so making bento boxes is probably quite a proactive move for him.

"Okay, I think I understand." Chihaya nodded. "After school this afternoon, Shiranami-san, how about we go to the cooking club together? You can take a look at my cooking methods. Our club president is also a very good cook, and everyone is very welcoming to guests, you know?"

"Really? Thank you so much!" Bai Bo's eyes lit up, and he thanked him repeatedly.

"It's okay, cooking is fun."

"It was so good to consult with my older sister!" Shiraha grasped Chihaya's hands. "Thank you so much!"

"We're all friends, no need to be so polite. Feel free to come and discuss things with me next time."

"If only you wouldn't call me 'older sister,'" Chihaya thought to herself.

......

That afternoon, Chihaya messaged Suzune, asking her to meet at the Palette.

Return the cleaned lunchbox to her, and then tell her not to make lunchboxes anymore.

Chihaya arrived at the color palette first to reserve a spot, and then ordered two coffees. Although she wasn't entirely sure about Suzune's taste, considering there was a high probability that Suzune would refuse Chihaya's offer, Chihaya decided to order two lattes first and ask for permission later.

Not long after, Rinne appeared on the color palette and walked straight toward Chihaya, the most eye-catching person in the entire store.

Good afternoon, Chizuru.

"Good day, Suzune." Chihaya smiled. "Thank you for the bento box, it tastes great! I've already washed the container."

Lingyin nodded and took the lunchbox.

"I took the liberty of ordering you a latte, without ice," Chihaya added.

This is due to considerations of the girl's physiological condition. After all, he really doesn't know the ringtone's time, and it would be awkward if he ordered something cold.

"Thank you." Rinne had intended to transfer some points to Chihaya, but after thinking about it, she figured the other person definitely wouldn't accept it, so she gave up. "If it tastes good, I can continue making it. If you have any dietary restrictions, you can let me know in advance."

“About that, Suzune,” Chihaya quickly interjected, “you don’t have to make me a bento, okay?”

"There's no difference between making a single serving and a two-person serving; supermarkets offer plenty of free ingredients."

"Actually, it's my personal problem." Chihaya lowered her voice. "Although it sounds like I'm bragging, a young lady like me does have some minor flaws."

"Huh?" Lingyin didn't understand why this explanation would appear at this time. "It's normal. Even if you're not a young lady, you would have one."

"Actually, I prefer eating it hot," Chihaya said softly.

"..." Rinne was stunned.