Looking at the picture of a sweat-drenched and exhausted Masao, Fujiwara Chika let out an impressed murmur. "That looks incredibly tough..."
She propped her elbows on the table, resting her cheeks in her hands with a sigh.
"I've actually tried dieting a few times myself, but I always failed. How are your results, Masao-kouhai?"
"I've lost about five kilograms in the last two weeks."
"Five kilos?!" Chika's eyes went wide. "How did you do it? You have to teach me!"
Masao pinched his chin thoughtfully.
"It's not so difficult, really. I wake up at seven every morning to run for an hour, then train for another hour after school. My daily meals are just boiled chicken breast, boiled broccoli, more boiled... things, and it all finishes with a fresh vegetable juice."
The eager anticipation on Chika's face slowly solidified into a mask of horror. She held up a hand to stop him.
"P-please, no more..." She stared at him, aghast. "How on earth did you endure something so terrifying?"
Just imagining that regimen made her shudder. She was certain she wouldn't last a single day.
Suddenly, a thought struck her. "Wait, Masao-kun, if you're dieting, what are you doing eating ramen right now?"
Her voice was laced with curiosity and a hint of playful teasing, as if to say, 'Don't tell me you've fallen off the wagon, just like I always do.'
Seeing the look in her eyes, Masao explained, "I get one 'cheat meal' a week where I don't have to watch what I eat."
"Oh, I see! One free pass a week." Chika nodded, considering it for a moment before deciding that even that structured system would be too much for her. She gave Masao's shoulder an encouraging pat. "You're really amazing, Masao-kouhai. Keep it up!"
She flashed him a bright thumbs-up.
"Thanks for the encouragement."
Learning about Masao's dedicated weight loss efforts raised Chika's opinion of him considerably.
She had always been a sucker for hard workers. In the original story, she'd once been quite taken with the student council president, Shirogane Miyuki, precisely because of his relentless drive—though that fondness had been steadily eroded by the sheer despair of his brutal training regimens and the discovery of his various... quirks.
Instead, a strange, maternal instinct had awoken in her during their countless practice sessions, leading to her famous declaration to Shinomiya Kaguya: "I'm the one who raised this child."
Chika slumped over the table, her legs swinging idly as she drifted into a happy daydream.
"I wonder, Masao-kouhai, will you become super handsome once you lose weight?"
Masao shook his head.
"I'd like to think so, but it's probably not very likely." Of course, that's without factoring in any potential help from the System.
"Eh? Don't be so negative! You have to believe in yourself! They say every big person is a potential beauty, you know? You have really good features, Masao-kouhai."
Seeing her cheer him on so earnestly, a classic internet phrase surfaced in Masao's mind: 'It's always the girls who can spot the hidden potential.'
'Wait, does that mean I actually am handsome?'
Her unwavering support was almost making him believe it.
"Oh, that's right! Midterms are coming up soon. Have you been studying, Masao-kouhai?"
"Of course. I've even cut back on my workouts to make more time for revisions. Why do you ask, Fujiwara-senpai?"
"Fuhuhuhu~" Chika chuckled, a triumphant gleam in her eye. "Well, you see, I recently learned about a fantastic study method. Would you like to know what it is, Masao-kouhai?"
His interest piqued, Masao leaned in.
"Oh? What is it?"
Having recently had his ego bruised by Jahy's genius, he was open to any study tips.
"The best study method is..." Chika drew out the pause for maximum effect, "...to not study at all!"
Masao stared at her confident, beaming smile as if she'd just grown a second head.
"Fujiwara-senpai, how can you possibly say that with a straight face?"
Seeing his disbelief, Chika puffed out her cheeks indignantly.
"This is wisdom that I acquired from the top two students at Shuchiin Academy! They said if you pay proper attention in class, there's no need for stressful all-nighters. It just wrecks your health! Besides, exams exist to reveal your true capabilities. If you cram just to get a good score, you'll never see your real academic self. So, the best approach is to go in naturally, without any revision!"
Listening to her explanation, Masao pieced together what had likely happened.
This was undoubtedly a strategic lie concocted by those two competitive geniuses in their endless rivalry—a lie that had failed to deceive each other but had perfectly ensnared the gullible Fujiwara Chika.
He chose his words carefully.
"I can't speak for you, Senpai, but I definitely don't pay attention in class normally. If I don't cram, I'll fail. And you're right that exams show your true level, but if that level is too low and your family finds out... well, you might find your allowance cut."
(The part about a reduced allowance didn't really apply to him, of course. As the last-place student in his year, he had no room to fall—only immense potential for improvement.)
Hearing this, the confidence from earlier drained from Chika's face, leaving her frozen in place. She realised that she, too, rarely paid attention in class.
And her allowance...!
If her grades were bad, her mother would definitely scold her and reduce her allowance money.
'Nooo! Anything but that!'
Just the thought of such a bleak, allowance-starved existence was unbearable.
"That's it! I have to get home and start studying right now!"
In that instant, the brainwashing from Shirogane and Shinomiya was shattered. Her common sense rushed back, and she resolved to hit the books with newfound desperation.
Just then, Masao finished his second bowl. He probably had room for one more, but the ramen was quite rich, and any more would be overkill.
"Good timing, I should head back too. It's getting dark—let me walk you home."
"Okay! Let's go!"
Chika didn't refuse. She stood, pulled the exact change for her ramen from her pocket—saving the master the trouble of making change—and placed the coins neatly on the counter.
She even has the exact change ready. Fujiwara Chika is a true ramen connoisseur.
Masao settled his own bill, and the two of them left together.
The two remaining men in the ramen shop watched them go, offering a silent, collective thought.
'Go get 'em, kids.'
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