"Much obliged, Commander."
Shun dipped his head, voice flat as a placid lake, as if he'd only heard an ordinary notice.
He didn't spare anyone another glance. He lifted his bag and turned toward the doors of the exam hall.
Miyoko blinked, then hurried after him.
Watching that cool, almost indifferent back, Erina felt a tight, wordless vexation climb her throat; her silvered teeth caught her lower lip.
"Hmph! Putting on airs!!"
He passes and acts like it's nothing?! For most people—no, for nearly everyone who ever dreamt of Shokugeki—Tōtsuki was sacred ground, a place they'd bankrupt themselves to enter.
Yet the instant he learned he'd been admitted, Shun's pulse didn't so much as stir.
To Erina, it all distilled into two characters: showing off.
But Shun wasn't performing. That calm wasn't a mask; it was a deeper state of mind—one Erina couldn't yet reach.
It was the inward stillness hewn by Shoku-gi training… and the simple truth that he didn't cling to Tōtsuki.
In the corridor outside, Miyoko finally tugged his arm again, concern and confusion bright in her eyes.
"Shun, what are you really thinking? The Commander himself said you passed—do you still not want to stay?"
As his childhood friend, she could tell the result hadn't weighed much on him.
Shun stopped and looked at her; his gaze softened. "It's not that I don't want to. Since I passed, I'll stay and study—and fulfill my father's wish."
"Then just now…" Miyoko exhaled in relief but still looked puzzled.
"I just don't see a reason to jump for joy."
Shun looked up at the band of blue sky beyond the eaves. "Where you study is secondary. The point is to improve yourself."
"Hmph, saying weird things again… You've changed too much in half a month. You're not the Shun I knew," Miyoko muttered, lips puffed.
Shun paused—realizing he'd let more slip than he meant. In two weeks, he'd walked two worlds and endured harsh training at Shokurin-ji. His bearing had transformed—far from the boy who used to drift and stall.
He gathered himself, let a faintly apologetic smile touch his mouth, and leaned back into that old, lazy drawl. "Have I? Maybe I overdid it in training. I'm wiped. You know how my dad pinned all his hopes on me."
It was a reasonable answer. Miyoko's doubt ebbed; she huffed and tilted her head. "Uncle Shun's doing it for your own good. Pressure makes progress—you're the diner's only heir."
She hesitated, a ghost of pink shading her cheeks. Her voice softened as she volunteered, "What about housing? Tōtsuki doesn't have on-campus dorms. I've got an apartment near school. I live alone, and there's a spare room… We could… stay off-campus together. Watch out for each other."
The hint couldn't have been clearer.
Only before Shun did Miyoko show this shy-girl side.
His eyes lingered a breath on her flushed face. He wasn't oblivious—years together and the subtle shift in her heart hadn't gone unnoticed.
But after a moment's silence, he slowly shook his head.
"Miyoko, thanks for the offer."
His voice was warm but direct. "I've decided to apply for Polar Star Dorm."
"Why?"
The word slipped out. A flicker of loss, then puzzlement crossed her eyes. She grasped at the unfamiliar name. "Polar Star… what is that? I've never heard of it."
"Heh, figured you hadn't. Polar Star is Tōtsuki's only boarding house. Twenty years ago it was famous; then it declined and most people forgot. There are still a fair few living there. The vibe might be… different." Shun explained.
And—
Most of all, he didn't want to be disturbed.
Polar Star's rooms were single occupancy. Close the door, and you were alone.
And when it came to using the system and stepping into the Toriko world—he needed secrecy and zero interruptions.
Sharing off-campus—even with Miyoko—was a risk.
Looking at the set of his jaw, Miyoko knew he'd decided.
Once Shun made up his mind, he rarely budged.
She was unhappy, but she wouldn't force him. "Fine… If that's your choice, I won't talk you out of it. If you can't stand it there, tell me anytime. By the way, that dorm… there are girls living there too, right?"
"Girls?" Shun missed her subtext for a beat. "Not sure. It's a dorm, so… probably both."
No sooner were the words out than her fingers tightened on his arm.
Her heroic brows arched; the shy softness vanished, the usual queenly fire snapping back into place.
"Oh? Is that so? Then you'd better get along with your dormmates—especially the female ones," Miyoko drawled, drawing out the words.
Even the slowest would catch the hint—and the thin warning in it.
"You're overthinking it. I'm going there to sleep and practice. That's all."
"Hmph. I'm done with you. Call me if you need anything."
They split for now—Miyoko heading toward the High School division's housing, Shun hefting his bag toward Polar Star Dorm.
…
(End of Chapter)
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