After dropping out of school, I chose to join a girls' band.

"Okay... but Kurosawa-kun, please don't stand behind others quietly anymore. You should at least say something. You startled me just now."

Yue casually grabbed a small bowl, filled it with a small portion of Kung Pao Chicken, and handed it to Taozi, saying expectantly, "After you try it, Kurosawa-kun, could you tell me your thoughts? This is the first time I've ever cooked for someone else."

"Chinese cuisine? This is my first time trying it..."

Peach took the bowl, her eyes sparkling with excitement and curiosity. She was prepared to praise Yue as much as possible, even if the food wasn't very good.

However, when she actually picked up a piece of chicken and put it in her mouth, the sensation that exploded on her taste buds made her eyes widen involuntarily.

A rich aroma fills the mouth; the chicken is tender and juicy, and the subtle combination with the sauce creates an enticing fragrance.

Her lips parted slightly, and her tongue gently licked the corner of her lips, as if she wanted to preserve this moment of deliciousness.

"Moon Sauce! Can we have another serving? I think this Kung Pao Chicken is absolutely delicious!"

Looking at the empty bowl in her hand, Momoko couldn't help but say something to Hinasaki, who was standing beside her waiting for her feedback, with a hint of regret.

Hinasaki smiled gently and said to Momoko, "While I am very grateful for Kurosawa's liking, I also have to consider everyone else. So if Kurosawa really likes it, there will be many more opportunities to eat it in the future."

Upon hearing Yue's words, Momoko's voice was filled with joy and anticipation: "Really? Thank you so much, Yue-kun!"

Hinasaki had no idea that her words would lead to Momoko Kurosawa coming over to her for meals every now and then.

"By the way, Kurosawa-kun, why don't you cook something too? The purpose of this dinner party tonight is for everyone to get to know each other. Since Kurosawa-kun is already in the kitchen, why don't you try cooking something?"

Hinasaki extended an invitation to Momoko Kurosawa, hoping she could also participate in the dinner party.

"Ah ha ha……"

Peach thought about the funny and absurd scenes she had when cooking at home, and recalling her clumsy attempts in the kitchen, an embarrassed smile appeared on her face.

"I think I'll pass... I'm not good at cooking."

Tao Wu 1 Qi Ba (8) Lin Qi (6) Yi Zi hurriedly waved her hand to refuse Yue's invitation, although she was indeed very excited to be able to cook with her push.

But considering that every time I try to cook, I follow the steps exactly, the final result is always a dark, indescribable, unknown mess in the pot.

Peach thought it best not to cook, lest she frighten Yue. She knew her culinary skills were practically nonexistent and worried that her performance would startle Yue.

It's clear that Yue didn't realize what Momo meant when she said she wasn't good at cooking.

She took Taozi's words as a polite refusal and didn't delve into their meaning.

"It's alright, Kurosawa-kun, I'll help you, so just go for it."

The moon's voice was gentle and comforting, full of trust and support.

Hearing Yue's encouragement, Peach felt a surge of gratitude and reassurance.

"Since... Yue has already said so, then I'll give it a try."

Momoko's passion for cooking, which had been extinguished, was rekindled with the encouragement of Hinasaki.

According to Yue, one of the things she regretted most was encouraging Momo to bravely try cooking, which proved that some things do require some talent.

After thinking for a moment, Peach decided to make a thick omelet. Yue watched as Peach turned on the induction cooker as if nothing was wrong, poured oil into the pan, and slowly poured the beaten eggs into the pan.

Then she said she didn't quite understand the peach's problem. It was perfectly normal to roll up the egg after it had slightly solidified, but for some reason, when the peach was rolled up, the egg underneath had turned black.

"???"

For the first time, Yue felt like her brain wasn't working properly, because she watched as the peach turned into a burnt black charcoal just minutes after the egg was added.

"Excuse me, Kurosawa-kun, I think the induction cooker might be malfunctioning."

Yue took a portable temperature gun from the side and checked the temperature in the pot. It was perfectly normal, not at all the high temperature that would cause it to turn into a charred mess so quickly. This ruled out the possibility that the induction cooker was malfunctioning.

"Kurosawa-kun... there might have been unavoidable circumstances just now. Take out this copy, and I'll teach you how to make a new one step by step."

"okay……"

Peach poured the burnt egg rolls out of the pan and then cracked another batch of eggs.

This time, however, Yue personally taught Taozi how to brush on oil, pour in eggs, and then roll it up. Everything was done according to standard steps.

However, when Yue let Taozi make one herself, what she served was a thick omelet that was burnt black on one side.

At that moment, Yue finally understood what it meant to be bad at cooking.

Fortunately, Yue had already finished her own cooking and there was still plenty of time left. She then personally helped Momo make about thirty thick omelets, enough to satisfy everyone in the class.

"call……"

Yue let out a long sigh and readily took the tissue Taozi handed her to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

"Kurosawa-kun... if you practice more when you have time, you should be able to make some pretty good dishes."

Although she was shocked by the various problems that always seemed to arise during Momoko Kurosawa's cooking process, Yue still comforted her very considerately, saying that at least Momoko had made considerable progress in the process just now, and with more practice, she should be able to make a normal dish.

That's right... Yue's requirements for peach cooking skills have changed from making a delicious dish to making a normal dish.

"Thank you so much for your guidance, Yue-chan!"

Peach looked at the dish on the plate in front of her, her eyes sparkling. This was one of the few times she had made a seemingly normal meal, apart from cooking rice in a rice cooker and heating fast food in a microwave.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Xiaoyue, Taozi, you're back."

In the dining area, Konohana Sakuya greeted the two who were carrying food back with a smile.

Momoko excitedly walked up to Sakuya, her eyes sparkling with joy and pride. She held up a plate full of tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelets), showing off her achievement.

Momoko excitedly introduced Sakuya to her, her voice filled with excitement and pride, her eyes sparkling with anticipation as she awaited Sakuya's approval and affection.

"Sakuya, let me tell you, Tsuki-chan just taught me how to make a thick omelet! You should try it!"

"Okay... I'll give it a try then."

Faced with the enthusiastic Momo, Sakuya couldn't refuse. She looked at the thick omelet in Momo's hand, took the chopsticks Momo handed her, picked up a piece of omelet, and put it in her mouth. A fragrance spread with the chewing action, filling her entire mouth.

Although it's not much different from the thick omelets you get outside, the only thing that matters about this dish, besides the freshness of the ingredients, is how well the chef can fry the eggs. Sakuya doesn't know the details of that, but she thinks it's pretty good based on her own taste.

A moment later, Sakuya opened her eyes, smiled and nodded at Momoko, expressing her approval and praise: "Momoko, your tamagoyaki is really good!"

"really?"

Yue slightly tilted her head, a hint of a smile in her eyes, as if she could see the swaying tail behind Taozi, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up.

"It's just like a little puppy craving praise."

"Aoi! Would you like to try some?"

Momoko's gaze then fell on Yuri Saki Aoi, who was looking at a table full of dishes and pondering what to eat.

Her voice held a hint of excitement and anticipation, hoping that Aoi would like her cooking. Momoko gently handed over a plate, presenting Aoi with the thick omelet that she and Tsuki had carefully prepared.

Aoi picked up a peach, tasted it, and praised it, saying, "It tastes really good! I hope we can eat peach-based dishes more often in the future."

"Mmm! If you like it, Aoi-chan, I can share all my practice creations with you!"

Clearly, Momoko, having been taught by Yue, was now somewhat arrogant and completely oblivious to the fact that Yue was silently praying behind her.

"Yuri Saki, I will remember what you did for me."

--------

Soon it was time for everyone to arrive. It was still the first day of school, and no one had elected a class monitor or any other position yet, so Hinasaki, as an outstanding student representative, was the only one who could speak on stage for this event.

However, Yue had already prepared a plan when she proposed organizing this event.

Yue stood on the stage, slightly raising her head, her gaze sweeping over the students gathered below, each smile and expectation reflected in her eyes.

She picked up the microphone, took a deep breath, composed herself, and slowly began to speak: "I won't go into the formalities; you've probably all heard enough of that at the opening ceremony this morning."

The sound of the moon is gentle and humorous, with a hint of teasing and ease.

Her words made the students feel warm and relaxed, sparking bursts of laughter and a lighthearted atmosphere.

"Today is our first day of school, and also a time for us to get together. At this special moment, I proposed this activity to help us get to know each other better and build closer connections."

"Whether you're from Class A or Class B, we'll be partners performing together on stage from now on. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say we're a community of shared destiny."

Yue raised her drink glass and continued, "I won't say anything more. I hope you all have a pleasant time during your studies at Shengxiang."

"Cheers!" Yue raised her glass to the air first, and then a chorus of "Cheers!!!!" filled the entire playground with laughter and cheers.

----------

"Phew... I can't eat anymore..."

Momoko Kurosawa lay on the bed, a sense of satisfaction and comfort filling her body.

Her clothes were somewhat disheveled, and she seemed unconcerned about the stares of others. Her belly was slightly protruding, and her expression was relaxed and content, with a look of happiness and satisfaction in her eyes.

"Peach...do you really not care about your figure at all?"

Yuri Saki's gaze lingered on Kurosawa Momoko's lower abdomen for a moment, her brows furrowing slightly, clearly puzzled by Momoko's indulgence. At the party earlier, Momoko's appetite had been truly astonishing; it was completely unexpected that this person, who seemed so unconcerned about her figure, had ranked in the top three academically when she entered university.

"Relax, Aoi-chan, don't girls all have two stomachs?"

When asked about Aoi's question, Momoko didn't seem to care about her earlier binge eating and answered with a relaxed expression.

"The saying that you have two stomachs means there's one for desserts, but you just ate quite a lot of main dishes."

Despite Momoko's explanation, Yuri Saki still found it somewhat unbelievable.

What classes are we having tomorrow morning?

"Let me see... I have dance class tomorrow morning."

"Don't worry, as long as you exercise more in class tomorrow, you'll burn off those calories."

Side Story: Prequel to Saint Soaring - Chapter 3: A Few Things About Morning Exercise

The next morning, before dawn, Momoko Kurosawa and Aoi Yurisaki got out of bed early. The dormitory was filled with the slight chill of the early morning, and the sky outside the window was still a hazy gray-blue.

Peach rubbed her sleepy eyes and yawned. Although she was still sleepy, Shengxiang's morning exercise was at 6:30 in the morning, and she didn't want to be late for school the next day.

Peach dragged her feet to the dressing table, picked up a comb and began to comb her long hair. Her slightly sleepy face was reflected in the mirror, while Aoi quickly made the bed.

It took about twenty minutes for Momoko and Aoi to get ready. Momoko put on her school uniform and tightened her tie, while Aoi tied her hair into a high ponytail.

The two exchanged a glance, and Momoko smiled, "Let's go, Aoi-chan, we must do our best today."

Aoi nodded and replied with a smile, "Yeah, let's do our best together."