Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　This group from Totsuki Academy was also part of his plan, because they were the protagonists of this world, and their talent and potential were considered top-notch in this world.

　Just like Liu Maoxing, who is a chosen one, no matter what kind of opponent he encounters or how unfavorable his own conditions are, he can always turn defeat into victory.

　In this world, the protagonist group led by Soma Yukihira is the Luck Group. Now, with him acting as a catalyst, they might be able to reach heights that were difficult to achieve in the original anime.

　Bai Yuan was never afraid of failure, because failure meant that he had made progress.

　He was afraid of stagnation.

　Hopefully, these little guys will bring him joy in the future!

　He watched quietly as Tadokoro Megumi tried different cooking methods. He didn't know how much of what he said had been taken to heart by the young girl.

　But that's good now. At least she's making slow but steady progress. If she can remember even one out of ten, that's a huge achievement for her.

　The same applies to others; under his deliberate arrangement, the strength of many female characters in the original work received an epic boost.

　As for why there were no boys?

　Don't ask, the answer is we're not familiar with each other.

　He could tolerate people like Terunori Kuga who stuck to him like glue, but he couldn't be bothered to bother with others unless they were in his class.

　Bai Yuan found a chair, sat down, and looked out the window. He couldn't help but let his thoughts wander, pondering the content of the midterm exam.

　When Senzaemon Nakiri entrusted him with this task, he was actually surprised. After all, he felt that it was really a good idea to entrust such an important task to him, since he was a newcomer.

　So Hakugen asked Nakiri Senzaemon a question in return.

　However, what he received in return was a hearty laugh from Senzaemon Nakiri: "Do whatever you think of, even if it means eliminating all the students!"

　What Totsuki Academy needs are capable graduates who can leave their mark on history, not mediocre ones.

　Their existence is meant to be stepping stones to becoming strong!

　Thus, Bai Yuan had no reason to refuse and readily agreed.

　Seeing that Hakugen agreed so readily, Nakiri Senzaemon was in a very good mood and simply handed the reins over to him.

　However, what he was thinking was that no matter how much trouble Bai Yuan caused, he could only eliminate half of the students at most. He couldn't possibly kill all of the more than a thousand students, could he?

　The reason he was asked to do it was simple: to put pressure on the elementary school kids and urge them to improve!

　He always felt that the elementary school's teaching methods were too lenient, which was why the dropout rate was so alarming when students moved up to the advanced school!

　"What kind of assessment questions should we set so that the number of people passing the midterm exam is exactly fifty?"

　Bai Yuan scratched his head, his brows furrowing slightly as he pondered. He knew how to eliminate everyone with difficult problems, but these kinds of ambiguous questions were the hardest to handle.

　Because he needs to have a clear understanding of the students' levels in order to create questions that match their abilities, but he is a new teacher...

　"In that case, let's continue with the bottom-ranked elimination system."

　All students ranked below 50th will be expelled, and half of the remaining students will leave during the final exams. New students will be recruited next year...

　Bai Yuan thought rather conservatively that he had already applied to his superiors, and that this midterm assessment would last for a full month.

　In other words, this midterm exam is more like a special training session than an assessment. As long as you work hard, you may be able to overtake others at any time!

　Under the constant pressure of dropping out of school, everyone goes crazy trying to improve themselves and rank higher.

　A month should be enough time for the survivors to undergo a transformation!

　"Teacher Bai Yuan, I've finished."

　I hope you'll enjoy this red wine beef tongue dish prepared using three different cooking methods.

　Tadokoro Megumi placed a plate containing three servings of red wine and beef tongue in front of Shiroyuki. At this moment, she was a little nervous, her fingers tightly gripping the hem of her clothes.

　"However, before the midterm exams begin, we must correct Tadokoro Megumi's personality, otherwise she will be the first person to be eliminated!"

　How about we take her to experience bungee jumping or skydiving? Surely, facing such a near-death experience would strengthen her spirit.

　Upon hearing Tadokoro Megumi's voice, Bai Yuan snapped out of his daze and then saw her nervous appearance, which was truly unseemly.

　This made Bai Yuan think that it takes a long time to subtly change a person's personality, and the only way to achieve this quickly is through something extremely stimulating.

　"It's decided, I'll take Xiaohui out before the midterm exams to solve the problem at its root!"

　Bai Yuan made up his mind. Poor Tadokoro Megumi had no idea what she was about to face. But even if she did know, she couldn't resist, since the other party was her teacher.

　Given her timid nature, she would do whatever Bai Yuan said.

　"Then let me have a taste."

　Looking at the red wine-infused beef tongue in front of me, after the final cooking, the beef tongue has become incredibly tender, and the sauce perfectly coats the entire piece.

　"Gudu."

　Watching the use of a knife and fork

　As Shiroyuki cut the beef tongue and was about to put it into his mouth, Tadokoro Megumi couldn't help but swallow hard, folding her hands in front of her chest, a nervous look returning to her face.

　"The texture is soft and chewy, and you can clearly feel the sauce no matter which inch you bite into."

　Combined with the final addition of red wine fruit flavors, you can clearly feel a strong, sweet aftertaste that bursts out in your mouth.

　"Wasn't this done quite well? Why did it receive the lowest rating?"

　Savoring the unique flavor of the red wine and beef tongue in his mouth, Bai Yuan looked up with some confusion, looking into Tadokoro Megumi's eyes, wanting to find the answer.

　"Because... because..."

　Faced with Bai Yuan's question, Tadokoro Megumi suddenly looked somewhat embarrassed, her gaze darting up and down as if she had something difficult to say.

　"So, what exactly happened? Could it be that you put salt in sugar because you were too nervous?"

　Bai Yuan teased her half-jokingly, then noticed that Tadokoro Megumi was silent. So, as if he had thought of something, he asked tentatively, "You didn't really put salt in sugar, did you?"

　"Um..."

　She let out a soft "hmm," almost burying her head in her chest. No wonder Ms. Shaper was so angry about such a basic mistake.

　"Hahaha! I told you you were holding your nerve too tight. Now look what happened, you snapped in class and got laughed at by your classmates."

　Upon seeing Tadokoro Megumi admit it, Shirobuchi burst into laughter to ease the girl's embarrassment. Being scolded in this situation was indeed understandable; if it were him, he would probably have immediately expelled her from the class.

　I was originally planning to contact Professor Chapel to ask about the specifics, but now it seems unnecessary.

　Such a basic mistake is something even a third-rate chef wouldn't make, yet it happened to Tadokoro Megumi. No wonder that in the original work, despite her strong abilities, she was in danger of being expelled before the protagonist even enrolled. If someone like her isn't expelled, then who is?

　"Teacher Baiyuan!"

　Seeing Bai Yuan laughing heartily, Tadokoro Megumi's face visibly turned red. She felt extremely embarrassed and stomped her foot in embarrassment.

　"Today I taught fried rice in class, but since you weren't here, I'll explain it to you again privately. Listen carefully."

　After laughing enough, Bai Yuan stopped and walked to the other side of the kitchen counter, where he steamed rice to give Tadokoro Megumi a private lesson.

　"Eh..."

　Looking at Shiro Awakening, who had suddenly switched to lecturing mode, Tadokoro Megumi was stunned for a few seconds before taking out her notebook from her bag and starting to take notes.

　·

　·

　"Teacher Bai Yuan, I'm scared."

　Looking at the hundred-meter-high cliff in front of her, even with a safety rope, Tadokoro Megumi still looked terrified, clinging tightly to the pillar with both hands and refusing to let go.

　Because she knew in her heart that if she let go of this pillar, she would definitely be pushed down! And fall into an abyss of no return!

　I told her we were here for discussion and exchange, but somehow we ended up on the bungee jumping platform!

　Looking down at the bottomless pool, Tadokoro Megumi shrank back, tears welling in her eyes, looking every bit the victim of bullying.

　Seeing her like this, Bai Yuan felt inexplicably excited.

　"Don't worry, there are safety ropes here. They're all brand new and have a high safety factor. Just jump with confidence!"

　Since the real goal was to encourage Tadokoro Megumi, not just to push her down, Shiroyuki patiently and persuasively guided her from the side.

　"No, just looking at it makes my legs go weak and I can't muster any strength. If I jump in this state, something bad will happen!"

　Her fingers were tightly intertwined, and she pressed her whole body against the pillar. She was willing to do anything as long as she wasn't allowed to bungee jump!

　"What if I go with you? Can you muster the courage?"

　Feeling the girl's trembling body, Bai Yuan fell silent for a moment. He knew in his heart that she was really scared, but this step had to be taken.

　As for whether it can be successful?

　Bai Yuan just wants to say that if you don't even try, you're destined to fail.

　However, this delay can't continue...

　So he came up with a compromise.

　"Will you dance with me, Teacher Bai Yuan?"

　Hearing Bai Yuan's words, Tadokoro Megumi was somewhat surprised.

　She could more or less guess why he wanted her to bungee jump, but why was he going with her? Didn't he feel any fear facing the danger of dying at any moment from thousands of feet in the air?

　Turning her head, Tadokoro Megumi carefully examined Shiro Awakening, and then discovered that there was no fear on his face at all; on the contrary, he seemed somewhat excited.

　"Of course, the best effect is when you jump yourself, but if you really don't dare to, forcing yourself to jump will have the opposite effect."

　If my existence can make you feel a little...

　With a little more confidence, let's jump together! I'd also like to experience bungee jumping.

　Bai Yuan truthfully expressed his thoughts.

　"Isn't this too much trouble for you? Not only did you bring me here, but you also came with me... Why are you being so kind to me, Teacher Baiyuan?"

　Looking at Bai Yuan's handsome face, Tadokoro Megumi suddenly asked this question.

　This was actually a question that had always been in her mind: why was Bai Yuan so good to her and paid so much attention to her when there were so many outstanding people around her?

　"Is the reason 'I did it because I wanted to be good to you' sufficient?"

　Looking at the girl's slightly flickering eyes, Bai Yuan naturally knew what she was thinking.

　A teenage girl is at the age when her heart is just beginning to flutter with romantic feelings. Being treated like this will surely stir up ripples in her otherwise calm heart.

　This is why they are easily deceived by blond-haired men.

　However, this kind of thing can be too much or too little. Newly formed feelings should not be watered by heavy rain, but should be nurtured slowly and steadily until they grow strong and resilient before they can go further.

　This was also Bai Yuan's strategy: to plant a seed in the hearts of the girls and let time nurture it until it sprouted—this is what is meant by feelings growing over time.

　If you're in a hurry to reap the rewards, you'll only end up doing more harm than good, and even if you do get what you want in the end, it won't be what you actually want.

　"I see. Teacher Bai Yuan is so kind. Let's jump together then. I feel less scared with you by my side."

　As expected, Tadokoro Megumi nodded, let go of the pillar, and came to Shirai Awakening. A faint blush appeared on her face, and her heart was enveloped by something called a sense of security.

　Afterwards, Bai Yuan also put on a full set of safety equipment and stood on the edge of the bungee jumping platform.

　Tadokoro Megumi was opposite him, breathing heavily with her eyes closed.

　"Are you ready?"

　After standing there for a while, watching Tadokoro Megumi's breathing gradually stabilize, Shirayuki tentatively asked a question. The next moment, Tadokoro Megumi hugged him.

　A soft sensation swept over him, and a reassuring scent reached his nose, making Bai Yuan inwardly praise it, though his face remained perfectly normal.

　"Um..."

　She responded with a faint murmur, and this time Tadokoro Megumi hugged the pillar even tighter than before, showing that she was truly afraid.

　"3, 2, 1, go."

　Bai Yuan could sense her fear, so he reached out and gently patted her back, his voice soft as he counted down, giving her an exceptionally strong sense of security.

　The next moment, the two jumped off the bungee jumping platform.

　Feeling the biting wind around her, Tadokoro Megumi's heart was pounding, but she felt no fear. The warmth from her chest and the strong, steady heartbeat of Shirobuchi told her that she was not alone.

　"If you want to yell, just yell it out. Sometimes it's better to let out your anger."

　Looking at the calm-looking Tadokoro Megumi in front of him, Bai Yuan reached out and patted her, saying with considerable insight.

　"what!"

　"Ah!~"