"Eating these things all the time isn't good for your health… Besides, Asama-kun, you need to supplement your nutrition too… like getting enough vegetables."
Xiao Hai Wan tidied everything up very efficiently, while also not forgetting to lecture Kazuo.
But she was certainly accustomed to doing these things, and in no time, the messy server room was spotless.
"This should do it…"
She turned around, satisfied, and looked at Kazuo, who was still facing the wall in reflection, a smile appearing on her face as she said:
"Alright, Asama-kun, you should tell me truthfully what you've been doing these past two days, shouldn't you?"
…
"To think… Daijin encountered such a troublesome situation…"
After learning the full story from Kazuo, Xiao Hai Wan clearly hadn't expected her roommate to be facing such difficulties.
"Ah… but from now on, we can start fighting back. Everything is almost ready; all we need is an opportunity, just one opportunity is enough…"
"So, what do you need me to do?"
Kazuo looked at Xiao Hai Wan and replied earnestly:
"Only you can do this thing—"
…"Hmm… I understand. Is this all I need to do…?"
Kazuo nodded, "Starting tomorrow, everything that's been prepared will begin… It's just…"
Kazuo paused here, a hint of hesitation appearing on his face.
"Am I really doing this for Daijin's good?"
Xiao Hai Wan gazed at him gently, nodding firmly in response: "Yes! This sentiment will definitely reach her heart!"
"Is that so… Thank you."
After finishing all of this, Kazuo, who was only now relaxing, felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him.
He could barely stand steadily, feeling as if he might float away.
It was only then that he belatedly realized he hadn't closed his eyes in a very long time.
Fortunately, before Kazuo collapsed, he was already being supported and held in Xiao Hai Wan's arms.
The soft, fragrant touch of the girl's body, along with the fresh scent of her bath soap, made Kazuo's eyelids grow heavier and heavier.
The girl's slender, delicate hand gently stroked his short, messy hair, and she softly murmured: "You've worked very hard… so now, rest for a bit…"
"…"
His entire body grew increasingly hazy, as if he had gone limp.
His consciousness gradually drifted away, and in his daze, he seemed to hear some kind of delirium.
"As expected of the Trainer I chose, Kazuo…"
…
When Kazuo opened his eyes again, he was already lying on a long bench nearby.
He gazed at the familiar yet somewhat strange ceiling, blinking and staring at it for a long time before his consciousness gradually returned.
He… seemed to have fallen asleep?
Was this the server room?
Kazuo slowly sat up and found that he was sleeping on one of the school's foldable long benches, covered by a thin blanket from who knows where.
He seemed to have slept for a long time; the excessive fatigue had made his taut nerves feel drowsy when they finally relaxed, and he had slept for half a day.
Looking out the window, the sky already had the twilight feel of dusk.
As Kazuo stretched, he noticed the light blue blanket on him.
"This is…"
It carried the lingering, delicate fragrance of a girl, and for some reason, it felt familiar… He subconsciously picked it up and sniffed it, then after a moment of silence, Kazuo suddenly seemed to realize, his face flushing as he looked up in shock and exclaimed:
"This is Xiao Hai Wan's!?"
His voice was even a little distorted from shock; after all, Kazuo was just an inexperienced young man when it came to romance, and when he thought about how he had just leaned in to smell it—
"I'm back!"
As if by coincidence, Xiao Hai Wan pushed the door open and walked straight in, just in time to see Kazuo suddenly roll off the long bench for some unknown reason.
"Asama-kun, what's wrong!?"
Kazuo slowly stood up, shaking his head with a strange expression and saying: "It's nothing… I'm fine! I was just a little startled…"
"Honestly, Asama-kun, you're too careless…"
Xiao Hai Wan said, closing the door and walking in.
"How was your sleep?"
"Hmm… I feel much better. By the way, what time is it now… How long did I sleep?"
"Hmm…"
Tapping her chin with a raised finger, Xiao Hai Wan thought for a moment: "About five hours, I think…"
"No wonder it's already dark…"
Kazuo sighed, standing up and tidying the blanket and other items.
"More importantly, I brought this today~"
Saying this, Xiao Hai Wan, with an accompanying intonation, held up the cloth-wrapped package in her hand.
"Ta-da~!!"
"Super Creek's Special Bento!"
"Eh... why did you suddenly decide to make a bento?"
Kazuo asked, a little curious, as students like them usually received subsidies at the academy, so eating in the cafeteria shouldn't be a problem.
It's just that—
"Isn't it because Asama-kun, you don't eat properly? If you keep eating these kinds of things, your body will break down."
Super Creek had already cleaned up all the instant noodles from before, even confiscating the unopened ones.
And instead,
"For Asama-kun's future health, I specially made a bento, you know? I borrowed the cooking club room briefly and made some simple dishes."
Simple dishes... Kazuo looked at the multi-layered cloth package in Super Creek's hand and didn't think it was something that could be completed with simple preparation.
However—
This was her kind intention after all, and a warmth flowed through Kazuo's heart.
Being in a foreign land, he now had such a companion... "Alright! Super Creek, I'll help move the table over, and I'll trouble you to help clean up this area."
"Okay!"
One person organized documents, the other helped set the table and chopsticks. With clear division of labor, the table was soon filled with steaming hot dishes.
There were umeboshi rice balls, fresh vegetable salad, hamburg steak, and cream stew—a sumptuous dinner that made Kazuo's eyes nearly pop out.
"These... did you make all of them yourself, Super Creek?"
Kazuo asked, somewhat incredulously.
And the reply was obvious—
"Mm! If Asama-kun doesn't mind, I can make you a bento every day from now on."
Eh, wait—a girl making a bento for a boy means—no, no, no, no, Super Creek probably doesn't mean that, right?—Did I misunderstand?!—But she said she'd make it for him every day!!!
In that instant, Kazuo's mind raced through all sorts of possibilities, but from the conclusions he drew,
No... Super Creek just wants to take care of others, right? Although he knew it was Super Creek's good intention, Kazuo still shook his head and refused: "No, I can't trouble Super Creek so much... After all, you're still a student and need time to study and train. You can't waste time on things like this..."
"...Yes," Super Creek, who could usually handle anything with composure, lowered her head somewhat dejectedly when Kazuo refused her, her ears drooping. She replied in a low mood, "Yes... you're right... I understand..."
For some reason, seeing her like this, a spontaneous feeling of guilt welled up in his heart. The other person was doing it for his own good, and yet he was acting like this.
A bit of a jerk—
It was as if he had been defeated by Super Creek.
"Well... on weekends or something... we can go grocery shopping and cook something together... Don't look at me like this, I'm actually quite good at cooking."
"!"
The girl's eyes glowed again, and as if to respond to this expectation, her ears instantly perked up and swayed back and forth... To be honest, it was a little cute.
"Hi!"
[Today's Matchup]
[It was Super Creek's overwhelming victory]
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