At lunchtime, in a small forest within Sobu High's campus.
"Masuzu rises again—!"
Inside the pavilion, the beautiful silver-haired girl with waist-length hair shouted with exaggerated expression and body movements, as if trying to show just how excited she was.
She stepped onto the stone bench, tilted her head toward the sky, and became a narrator with a deep yet gentle voice: "After one day of rest, empowered by the Love Porridge made by her boyfriend, she who suffered from illness has finally risen from hell... This Masuzu is now completely different. Even if countless love rivals stand before her, she can crush them all with her beauty!"
"There's too much to comment on—I'm too lazy."
Yuu didn't even look at her solo performance. He sat across the stone table and calmly pulled out his bento box. "No matter if you're reenacting JOJO or Baki, stop using repetitive phrases—I still want to eat."
"Why does 'Love Porridge' bother you? Wasn't the porridge bad?" Masuzu frowned in dissatisfaction, then clutched her chest dramatically, looking intoxicated. "Now that I remember, it was truly the most delicious food I've ever eaten... Of course the taste was extraordinary, but most importantly, it contained my boyfriend's love and sincerity! Every time I took a spoonful, it was as if he entered my stomach, melted into essence by gastric acid, and would stay with me forever..."
"Stop. That's already disgusting enough." Yuu angrily tapped the table. "Sit down and eat. If not, I'll go eat at the Service Club."
"So you're threatening me with another woman. Truly worthy of being called Sato Yuu, Demon King—you really know how to exploit women's weaknesses." Shrugging with resigned tone, Masuzu tucked her hair behind her ear and sat back on the stone bench.
But she didn't sit directly across from him—she sat beside him. Her soft arm pressed tightly against him, and a unique girl's fragrance slowly spread.
His motion to open his bento froze mid-air. Yuu glanced at her. "Don't arbitrarily change my family name. I'm not trying to threaten you either... And you're too close."
"Really?" Masuzu didn't care.
Despite many empty seats around, she stuck closely to his side like magnets snapping together, even naturally wrapping her arms around his. "I think this distance is perfect. Isn't the weather getting cold lately? If we don't press our bodies together to generate warmth between us, we might get sick a second time."
"That's such a forced argument..." Yuu sighed, too lazy to argue with his girlfriend who'd started acting up again. He let her gently rub her cheek against his shoulder.
"Anyway, if you won't eat, just be quiet. I'm hungry."
Masuzu opened her eyes, which had been half-closed from comfort. She spoke firmly, as if it couldn't be denied: "I want to eat your bento. I want to eat anything you made with your own hands."
His movement paused. Yuu lowered his head, staring at her in utter shock.
"Are you sure?"
Masuzu kept her expression unchanged, speaking in a normal tone: "What's there to doubt? Compared to your cooking, Weider-in jelly is nothing more than something dirty and disgusting, like frog urine. Isn't it obvious which one to choose? I hope you don't question my intelligence."
Yuu's lips twitched slightly. "Something like frog urine—I found an entire carton of it in your house yesterday..."
"Yeah. So you know..."
Masuzu suddenly laughed.
Like discovering a treasure she never wanted to let go of, she hugged his arm tighter. She buried her face against his chest, took a deep breath, then said softly:
"Before meeting you, how pitiful this Masuzu was."
Yuu fell silent for a moment.
"...Is it really that excessive?"
"Yes. My words are truth."
"Fine. If you're happy, I'm happy too."
Facing Masuzu in full clingy mode, Yuu finally smiled helplessly and chose to surrender.
Unlike before, she seemed to have started acknowledging her heart's desires and chasing them shamelessly—like a girl who had just fallen in love.
This shift in attitude was, to Yuu, both unexpected and understandable.
Unexpected because after recovering from her fever, from online to offline, from last night to this morning, it was as if a fuse in her brain had blown. Her emotions were wildly energetic. Masuzu wasn't just expressing fiery feelings toward him—she immediately turned those feelings into action, clinging to him like this nonstop.
But considering her personality and what Yuu observed yesterday, Masuzu was someone deeply lacking and intensely desiring. So such a reaction wasn't strange—perhaps also influenced by the porridge.
One couldn't overlook the happiness food brought to humans, especially when seriously ill. Even a simple bowl of plain porridge could be more touching than luxurious daily meals.
—After all, since their relationship evolved from hired boyfriend to now, simply being by her side had at least filled the emptiness in her heart.
Seeing the girl leaning on him, her small face showing calmness and satisfaction, Yuu thought about this.
If this wasn't considered completing the mission, then how far must he go to meet the system's requirements? Did he actually have to fill her body and soul?
"Why?"
Masuzu lifted her eyes, confused by his complex expression. "Weren't we going to eat? I'm waiting for you to feed me."
Snapping back to reality, Yuu temporarily set aside those thoughts. He shook his arm as a signal. "I already prepared disposable chopsticks for you. Take them and eat yourself... Even if you refuse to sit across from me, at least let go of my hand. How am I supposed to eat?"
"But I deliberately left your right hand free." Masuzu sighed regretfully. She finally released her left hand. "If you can't even eat like this, then you're only growth rank E... Well, even so, I still love you, Yuu."
"You're the one who hates talking about love the most." Yuu opened his bento and said casually.
Masuzu instead showed a charming smile, speaking with deep meaning: "Yes, I hate it. That's why I love doing this with you the most."
"That makes absolutely no sense."
Handing disposable chopsticks to Masuzu, Yuu picked up his own. Just as he was about to enjoy his lunch, his phone suddenly vibrated.
In front of Masuzu, Yuu didn't hide it. He took out his phone and turned on the screen.
A message appeared. The sender was Mizuhara Chizuru—the girl they hadn't spoken to since meeting at the café that day.
Mizuhara Chizuru: {Sorry to disturb. Do you have any free time recently?}
Yuu was surprised and raised an eyebrow. He hadn't even opened the message further to reply when he felt a hot yet cold gaze directed at his face. He unconsciously looked up.
Beside him, the silver-haired devil-like girl smiled brightly, her eyes blank, asking cheerfully:
"Who is she?"