As far as I knew, the quality of Gehenna's school lunch during the original story was wildly inconsistent, thanks to the presence of Juri, who could imbue food with life—in a bad way.
But Juri was still in middle school, so the School Lunch Club consisted of Fuuka, who had just started her first year, and an unknown number of third-year seniors who were about to graduate.
According to Hina, those third-years weren't very reliable either, but there was no way they could be worse than Juri.
That was a level of culinary disaster that shouldn't exist in reality, something that could absolutely never exist.
Walking with Hina between Ako and me had one major perk: all the delinquents who might have thought about starting something vanished without a trace.
The delinquents we passed on the way to the Gehenna student cafeteria would spot Hina and immediately tuck their tails between their legs.
There was a strange satisfaction in watching them freeze mid-glare before silently continuing on their way.
Anyway…
"Today's lunch tasted a little weird, didn't it? I heard some strange noises coming from the kitchen earlier, too".
"Yeah, it was like we went back to last year. Should've just eaten in town".
What was that, my dear Gehenna mob-character friends? Why is it that the one time I decide to try the school lunch, I immediately hear that it tastes weird?.
And what strange noises?.
"Well, it's obvious, isn't it? It has to be
those psychos again".
"Ah… right. No one else makes sense".
"I don't get why they always have to mess with the cafeteria. I'd love to teach them a lesson, but I know I'm no match for them. Ugh, it's so frustrating…!".
The three of us exchanged glances as the two students who had come from the direction of the cafeteria passed us.
It was because there was a smell of trouble… or rather, the possibility that it was the handiwork of the Gourmet Research Society, just as those girls had said.
"Hmm, maybe we should postpone tasting the school lunch? If you're really hungry, we'd be better off eating anything else in town".
"If what those students said is true, I have no desire to eat today's lunch either. Still, we should at least check if there's a problem in the kitchen".
"Ugh, last year's food was genuinely awful. I don't want to taste that again either. For now, I agree with the Prefect Head. It seems best to see what those problem children are up to in the kitchen".
Ako, starting up her anti-Gourmet-Research-Society engine as naturally as breathing, was so consistent. Was it because I'm not a member of the Prefect Team that I can't relate?.
Haruna had never actually caused any trouble when she was with me, not even once, which might be why I felt that way even more.
At Millennium, it was C&C who really made a mess of things, and during the festival, Haruna had shown a surprising amount of restraint.
Ah, maybe during the festival, the situation just hadn't been right for her.
In any case, since our Haruna had never shown me any behavior that warranted her notorious reputation, I couldn't help but want to defend her.
BAM!!.
But what was with the suspicious sound that echoed from somewhere the moment we stepped into the student cafeteria, trying to crush that feeling?.
Instantly shedding the relaxed aura she often showed when she was next to me, Hina strode forward with a commanding presence.
From her sheer force of presence, you'd think she'd kick the kitchen door down, but being the sensible person she is, the fact that she just pushed it open with her hand was cute….
"Everyone, freeze. This is the Prefect Team—".
As the kitchen door opened to reveal the scene inside, Hina, who had been speaking, blinked her eyes.
That's how bizarre a scene had unfolded before our eyes.
"…Haruna?".
"Fufu… I never dreamed we'd run into each other at such an inopportune moment, Mika. And Hina, the Prefect Head".
"Kurosaki, what is the meaning of this?".
First, my impression of Fuuka, seeing her in the flesh, was one of profound pity.
She was, all too naturally, tied to a chair, looking at Hina as if she were a lifeline sent from the heavens. It was truly pathetic.
It's no wonder that among Fuuka's fans, there were some who genuinely hated the Gourmet Research Society; she was a girl who suffered a lot.
But the picture became a little strange when I saw Haruna kneeling in front of Fuuka, whom she had tied up.
I mean, if you were going to do that, why tie her up in the first place? Leave Fuuka alone!.
"Prefect Head…? Please, untie me! Ugh, Haruna! I told you I'd teach you how to cook if you scheduled it properly… Or at the very least, you could have just let me handle the prep work!.
Why are you being so stubborn?".
"…No. That would be too late, Fuuka. If summer ends, there would be no point in making her the eel rice bowl. Besides, if I don't make it with my own two hands from start to finish, there would be no meaning at all—".
"Haruna, that's enough. I don't know exactly why you're bothering the School Lunch Club staff, but… it's not polite to hold up busy people, is it? Yes".
The situation was so different from what I had expected that I was slow to notice, but Akari and Izumi were calmly sitting in a corner, munching on popcorn.
But the color of the popcorn Izumi was eating was so strange that I had no desire to know what flavor it was.
"…Wow, she tore the ropes with her bare hands. As terrifying as ever☆".
"You know, I'm suddenly craving some of the Vice President's hand-pulled noodles!".
"…Vice President?".
No, I'm not a member of the Gourmet Research Society… Please, stop confusing people.
Thanks to them, the look Hina gave me turned half a degree colder.
After I personally untied Fuuka, she shot up from the chair and thanked me.
"Uh, thank you? But, um, why is a student council president from Trinity here…?".
"Ahaha, it's a long and complicated story. More importantly, Haruna, I'd like an explanation. And I want you to be honest with me. Can you do that?".
"…Fufu, how could I ever lie to you, Mika? My original plan was to surprise you, but things became complicated when Fuuka was uncooperative".
"Hey, how is that my fault? Because you tied me up, I couldn't help prepare the lunch service at all!".
So, if I was getting this right, Haruna wanted something from Fuuka.
And it all stemmed from her desire to make me an eel rice bowl herself?.
"Just to be sure, Haruna… you didn't tie Fuuka up to force her to teach you how to cook, did you?".
"…Ngh".
"Yes, that's exactly it… Haruna said she wanted to make a revitalizing meal for someone special who's been working hard, so she asked me to teach her. But there's a slight problem with that".
"Um, Fuuka? If you don't mind, I would like to explain that myself… It is rather, and deeply, embarrassing for Mika to hear of my shortcomings from another".
"Is that something you say after tying someone up for over two hours?".
"Hmm… my apologies, Fuuka. That was, shall we say, force of habit…?".
"…Did Haruna just… apologize?".
Fuuka, looking completely bewildered, stared at Haruna as if she were some unknown creature.
I guess I couldn't blame her. Even I found this side of Haruna a little jarring.
"Mika, my culinary skills have… somewhat of a problem".
"Somewhat?".
"…Yes, somewhat".
She said it shamelessly, but Haruna seemed to know that her cooking skills were a disaster.
I mean, that's why she always kidnapped Fuuka whenever she needed a chef.
"You've been burdened by your duties as a student council president, and you recently had to deal with that terrorist attack… after careful consideration of what I could do for you, who has been through so much, I decided to pour my heart into making you a stamina meal. Considering your small appetite and the fact that we're still at the tail end of summer, the optimal menu I decided on was an eel rice bowl".
"So even a problem child can become like this when blinded by love… Ack…! Does that mean the Prefect Head will soon…?".
"Ako, even for me, that's unpleasant".
"Ah, yes. You're right. Of course the Prefect Head would never do something like that!".
I thought it was a bit much for them to say that in front of the person in question, but Haruna, being the type to not care what others say, simply ignored their conversation.
"And so, I immediately purchased the highest quality freshwater eel, but it was then that I was forced to face reality. That with my current skills, serving you a dish I cooked myself would be… worse than doing nothing at all".
"W-well, you can find recipes for unagi don. And like Fuuka said, if you just let someone else handle the prep work and follow the recipe carefully…".
"Mika… if you would like to eat a lump of coal instead of grilled eel in your rice bowl, then even now…".
"No, never mind. I get it. I think I understand why you went as far as kneeling before Fuuka".
"And, I must handle the preparation myself as well. If my hands are not involved from beginning to end, how can I say the dish was truly filled with my feelings?".
…Right, I understood the sentiment. The sentiment only.
I used to think that reforming Haruna was a completely impossible task, but maybe that's not right.
And in a world where even Wakamo was starting down the path of rehabilitation, thinking that Haruna was a hopeless case was just a prejudice on my part.
More than anything, I now had the most powerful weapon at my disposal: 'me'.
I knelt to face Haruna, taking her hands in mine and calmly conveying my thoughts to her.
"Haruna, I'm truly grateful that you want to do something for me. I mean, who wouldn't be happy to hear that? But if you hurt other people in the process, I can't just accept it happily. You understand that, don't you?".
"Yes, of course I do. However—".
"Haruna, let's not make any more excuses. From now on, I don't want you to cause trouble for others in my name. Can you promise me that?".
"…Yes".
"Good girl. Now, before we get up, you need to properly apologize to Fuuka".
"…Excuse me. Am I dreaming right now?".
Fuuka muttered blankly as she watched me stroking Haruna's hair.
Come to think of it, everyone else was giving me strange looks too.
What? What did I do?.