Rushing to school, Aozawa began his Kendo club training.
He hadn't slacked off on his physical training at home last week, but without an opponent, it always felt like a lax endeavor.
He mercilessly drilled Department Head Kenji Kojima and explained that Hojo Tetsuji had set sail in search of One Piece and would most likely not return to the Kendo club.
To this outcome, Kenji Kojima didn't feel any regret; instead, he breathed a sigh of relief. With the school's notorious delinquent in the Kendo club, even he, a senior, had to walk on eggshells, terrified of provoking a beating. Good riddance to that kind of member, he thought.
Aozawa continued practicing until ten minutes before class, then headed to the classroom building.
There weren't many people in the shoe locker area.
He changed into his indoor shoes and quickly made his way to Class 2-C.
In the classroom, by the window, a blonde girl sat demurely with her head slightly lowered, eyes fixed on the textbook on her desk, reviewing.
It's like a demon accidentally stumbling into a fairy tale, Aozawa thought, pausing at the door, not wanting to spoil the dreamlike beauty of the scene.
After a moment, he strode forward, pulled out a chair, sat down, then tapped Phoenix Academy Maggie on the shoulder and said, "Phoenix Academy."
Phoenix Academy Maggie lifted her gaze from the book. "It looks like you've recovered from your illness."
"Completely fine!" Aozawa flexed his muscles.
Phoenix Academy Maggie glanced at the empty desk beside her and said, "Hojo, on the other hand, seems to have fallen ill."
"More than that. The guy has already left Japan for the sea, claiming that land holds no dream for him."
Surprise flickered in Phoenix Academy Maggie's eyes, then she shook her head. "That's really Hojo's style."
After saying this, she fixed her gaze on Aozawa, her expression blank. "Remember to buy me a drink after class. Don't think you're off the hook for apologizing just because you were sick."
"No problem. What would you like to drink?"
"A bottle of orange juice, please." Phoenix Academy Maggie never drank cola.
"Two bottles are fine," Aozawa quickly agreed. Compared to what he'd done, two bottles of orange juice were a small price for easing the young lady's conscience. He'd much prefer a 'monthly subscription' for this kind of thing, he mused.
Phoenix Academy Maggie didn't want to dwell on such embarrassing incidents, so she changed the subject. "How are your studies going?"
"Thanks to your notes, I feel as if I haven't missed any classes."
"That's good." She was secretly pleased but kept her expression neutral, saying casually, "If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."
"We sit one behind the other; it's normal to help each other out," Phoenix Academy Maggie added, seemingly wary of any misunderstanding.
"Sure," Aozawa replied with a smile.
DING DONG DING. The class bell echoed through the quiet campus and classrooms.
The two stopped talking, sat properly, and waited for the teacher's arrival.
「Time flies.」
The last class of the morning was the bi-weekly home economics class.
Aozawa headed to the cooking classroom.
In his eyes, such classes were almost a complete waste of time. If someone dreamed of becoming a top chef after graduation, the school's home economics teacher certainly wasn't qualified to teach them. As for ordinary home-cooked meals, it wasn't that today's youth couldn't learn to cook; they simply didn't have the time. After a busy day, who would want to come home and cook from scratch? People who had that kind of dedication would cook for themselves whether they took home economics or not. If there was anything to be gained, it was probably the joy of completing a dish with someone else?
Home economics classes usually involved working in pairs, with partners assigned randomly by the teacher.
Since Class 2-C had an extremely balanced number of boys and girls, Aozawa naturally ended up with a female partner.
"Please take good care of me! My name is Ayatsuki Ayaka," the girl introduced herself with a cheerful smile. She had highlighted blonde hair with rainbow-colored tips. Her skin had that classic gyaru-style beach tan, and her ten fingers were adorned with manicured nails that sparkled like embedded diamonds. A colorful pentagram sticker was placed just below her right eye. Her school jacket was tied around her waist, and her white shirt stretched to accentuate curves that undoubtedly attracted male attention. Her skirt was deliberately hiked up, resembling the length of miniskirts worn by high school girls in anime.
"I'm Aozawa. Please take good care of me too," he replied. Using his X-ray Ability, he took a quick look. This hot girl is surprisingly innocent, he thought, and didn't look any further.
His X-ray Ability retracted.
"Alright students, today I'll teach you a very simple dish: omelet rice. Please watch my steps carefully and then follow my instructions," the home economics teacher announced from the podium, beginning to demonstrate how to make omelet rice to the students.
In Japan, omelet rice is a very common home-style dish. However, making it well isn't easy; for high school students, at least, it's a challenging task.
For Aozawa, it was relatively simple. At the very least, he knew how to crack and whisk eggs, unlike Ayatsuki Ayaka, who tapped the eggs so gingerly it was as if she were afraid of hurting them.
"Aozawa, you're so amazing! Just like my ex-boyfriend, you're both those wonderful, homey types with top-notch cooking skills!"
Ayatsuki Ayaka had no dating experience whatsoever, but she liked to boast.
This is too simple to get excited about, Aozawa thought. He quickly whisked two eggs evenly with chopsticks and instructed, "Ayatsuki, could you pour some oil into the frying pan and spread it evenly?"
"OKAY!" Ayatsuki Ayaka made a hand gesture, poured the oil, and, using chopsticks to hold a piece of kitchen paper, began to spread the oil evenly.
Aozawa poured the whisked eggs directly into the pan. SIZZLE. He immediately turned off the heat, lifted the pan, and used a plastic spatula to transfer the half-cooked eggs into a bowl.
"Well done," the home economics teacher praised. Compared to the other students, Aozawa's performance always inspired a desire to compliment him. He has the potential to become a chef in the future, the teacher thought.
Ayatsuki Ayaka smiled. In previous home economics classes, she was rarely associated with praise. Being praised this time, even indirectly, made her a little happy. She had only spread the oil in the pan, and the teacher hadn't praised her by name. Still, that didn't stop her from deriving a sense of achievement from Aozawa's success.
"Aozawa, what should I do next?" she asked, full of enthusiasm.
Aozawa was somewhat speechless. Seriously, this girl hasn't remembered a single step the teacher just demonstrated, he thought, then instructed, "Heat the pan again, then pour in more oil and make sure it's spread evenly over the bottom and sides."
"Okay!" Ayatsuki Ayaka responded loudly, turning on the stove and letting the high heat heat the pan.
"Phoenix Academy Maggie, you're doing very well too," the teacher complimented from elsewhere.
Hearing the teacher's praise, Ayatsuki Ayaka glanced at that incredibly radiant girl, then turned back to Aozawa and whispered, "Hey, Aozawa, you and Phoenix Academy Maggie are pretty close, right?"
The word "Gossip" was practically written on the hot girl's forehead.
Aozawa said expressionlessly, "Don't go spreading rumors about me."
"Oh, I get it." Ayatsuki Ayaka's eyes sparkled, and she smiled, revealing two cute little fangs, as if to say that everything was understood without needing to be spoken.