Crossing over, and then being blocked by a rich JK.

Chapter 455 Come and Stay [4K2]

As Yu Yokota gives more and more interviews, the buzz surrounding his new film grows larger and larger. From sparking discussions online to having promotional videos played on giant billboards in Shibuya, it's like a snowball rolling downhill, with the publicity becoming increasingly overwhelming.

Watanabe Yu once again experienced what it's like to be 'led by someone'.

As the movie's trailers were shown repeatedly, his popularity also increased significantly.

—His belated upload of "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" has already made it into the top ten of the hot songs chart, and the comment section is incredibly lively, with several new comments appearing every time you refresh the page.

Many pianists have expressed their joy, saying that after five years, they have finally seen a piano piece enter the top ten of the hit songs charts again.

As Jay's popularity began to rise, reporters from major media outlets also sprang into action, mobilizing their own channels to search for this young man who had never appeared on camera before.

The paparazzi were stationed outside Yokota's door 24 hours a day.

Generally speaking, after a successful publicity campaign, the director will arrange a meeting with the male and female leads, as well as the staff involved in the publicity campaign.

Unfortunately, they were destined never to meet that 'mysterious young man'.

Because he was eating hot pot.

Crash.

Listening to the dense sound of rain falling outside the window, Watanabe Yu turned his gaze away from the French windows and instead looked at the bright red, steaming hot pot in front of him.

After gently pressing the red switch button on the induction cooker, he expertly raised the temperature to 1000.

He bought the hot pot base from a hot pot base shop in Chinatown; the owner is from Chongqing.

After speaking with the Chongqing man in his native language, he got the hot pot base at a relatively favorable price.

However, it must be said that although everyone says Chongqing hot pot broth is the best, in reality, it seems that the hot pot broths from Sichuan and Chongqing taste pretty much the same.

"Is this... really not too spicy?"

The young lady stared at the red bottom of the pot, swallowed unconsciously, and a hint of fear appeared in her eyes.

It's true that she changed some of her eating habits at Mr. Troll's place, and she can eat spicier food than before, but that doesn't mean she can accept this hot pot that looks incredibly spicy.

Not to mention that when she watched food shows with Ryoko before, she saw the guests screaming for help because of the spiciness of Sichuan hot pot.

"Don't worry, it only looks red, it's not actually that spicy."

Watanabe Yu placed his hands on the table, folded over each other, and observed the reaction on the surface of the hot pot. Once the water boiled, he could add the ingredients.

"Really?"

The young lady looked at him with some disbelief.

“That’s definitely fake.” Watanabe Yu grinned mischievously, then changed the subject, “But you can work on the dipping sauce.”

In fact, apart from him, the dipping sauces placed in front of Ryoko, Ayana, and Yuki all contained enough vinegar.

This vinegar can neutralize the spiciness of the hot pot broth.

However, I imagine he didn't use much force when adding the hot pot broth, so theoretically, everyone should be able to accept it, right?

“That’s true.” Ryoko Hamabe picked up her chopsticks, dipped them in the sauce in the dish, and put them in her mouth. “Hmm… it really helps to neutralize the spiciness.”

They even added a bit too much vinegar.

However, judging from its bright red color, whether this "too much" has been added still needs to be questioned for the time being.

"But then again, the sports meet is the day after tomorrow. Are you sure it's okay for you to eat this?"

She turned her head, a hint of teasing in her eyes.

That food show about Sichuan and Chongqing hotpot even showed footage of the guests rushing to the toilet afterwards.

"No problem, and I didn't hit too hard."

Watanabe Yu gave her a reassuring look.

He only added a quarter of the hot pot base, so even if it was spicy, it wouldn't be too spicy.

"I'll take your word for it."

Ayana Amamiya rolled her eyes coquettishly.

She would trust him in other matters, but in this one, she truly couldn't trust him.

The main issue is that their perceptions of 'spiciness' were never on the same baseline from the beginning.

"By the way, You, did you know that those famous singers in the industry usually eat extremely bland food?"

Hayakawa Yuki glanced at the bubbling hot pot, then picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of beef, and put it in.

The beef was marinated by her and Ryoko this afternoon, using the same ingredients they had eaten countless times and praised endlessly.

"To protect your voice."

Watanabe Yu picked up the conversation, but a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He thought Yuki wouldn't start eating so quickly, or at least he would hesitate for a while.

“I’ve eaten Sichuan and Chongqing hot pot with my mom before, at the hot pot restaurant that’s the most popular in Chinatown.”

As if sensing his confusion, Yuki raised her eyebrows and uttered those words.

"Is it spicy?"

Ayana Amamiya asked out of curiosity.

"It was spicy, but because we added a lot of vinegar to the dipping sauce, it was actually acceptable to eat."

Yuki Hayakawa provided the answer.

Then she thought for a moment, decided to stop pretending to be a lady, and instead rolled up her sleeves, stood up, picked up the plate of beef, and started putting the beef into the pot with her chopsticks.

"Oh."

Upon hearing this, the unease on Ayana Amamiya's face visibly diminished.

If that's the case, then she can accept it.

"By the way, Yu, so, how's Kiriyama's training going?"

After putting down two-thirds of the beef, Hayakawa Yuki sat down again and then brought up this topic.

"Okay?"

Watanabe Yu wasn't entirely sure either.

Compared to when he first started training, Kiriyama has indeed improved a lot. At least now his face doesn't turn red after running, and he's not panting as much.

However, compared to the level of others, he was not very confident.

He could tell that everyone who came out to train was consciously holding back, and after he led the race that day, they were even more so.

Now when he runs three kilometers on the track, no one runs with him anymore.

Everyone either watched or left the track to rest.

"Then why did Maki tell me that Kiriyama is training very well?" Hayakawa Yuki stuck out her tongue. "She said that Kiriyama runs quite fast and is guaranteed to be in the top three in this competition."

To be honest, she was a little skeptical, but out of consideration for her best friend, she didn't call her out on it.

If we're talking about Kiriyama's intelligence network, she would definitely agree. In the entire South City Private High School, no one is more well-informed than him, but that's athletic ability, not intelligence ability.

Kiriyama's physical fitness isn't bad, but it's definitely not among the best, as can be seen from his physical education activities during regular classes.

The level of coordination and physical strength that Kazuo and Yu displayed were worlds apart.

"Isn't that great?"

Watanabe Yu hesitated for a moment, then got up, picked up the duck feet that were placed aside, and put them into the pot.

Yes, he is also a 'foot fetishist'.

"That would be great, if he can really do it."

Hayakawa Yuki pouted.

However, the very next second after she finished speaking, she suddenly realized her slip of the tongue and began to explain.

"I don't mean to look down on him, I just think it's unlikely."

Although the probability of Yuta thinking it was very small, she felt she still had to explain.

After all, if you talk things out from the beginning, there won't be so many problems.

"What if? Let's believe it for now."

Yu Watanabe, on the other hand, was quite optimistic.

From what he observed, Kiriyama didn't slack off during the self-study time in that class; he was genuinely practicing diligently, even doing extra practice. He seemed to have mastered breathing techniques, though he didn't know who taught him.

"hold head high."

Yuki Hayakawa nodded slightly in response.

"Ryoko!"

Ayana Amamiya, who had been listening in, seized the opportunity, coughed lightly, and seamlessly continued the conversation.

"Ok?"

Ryoko Hamabe tilted her head and looked over with some confusion.

What's the atmosphere like in your class right now?

Ayana Amamiya raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity visible in her beautiful eyes.

In theory, the atmosphere in a class that is in the process of advancing to a higher level is quite intense. Everyone will unconsciously make use of their spare time and try their best to study.

After all, these are the days we have left.

Just keep trying, grit your teeth, and this period will pass.

"Everyone is working very hard. Fewer people are going out to play during breaks. After lunch, people are chatting less. Most people just lie down in the classroom after eating."

Ryoko Hamabe gave the truthful answer.

She could sense that the bonds between everyone hadn't diminished, but they were definitely much quieter than before.

That's normal, after all, a person's energy is limited. If most of your energy is devoted to your studies, you won't have as much energy for other things.

On the bright side, after the entrance exams, everyone will enjoy a stress-free holiday.

"That's it."

"The beef is ready."

Watanabe Yu picked up a piece of beef with his chopsticks, checked its color to make sure it was cooked through, and then put it into Ayana's dipping sauce.

"Try it."

He raised his chin and gave her an encouraging look.

"Goo."

The young lady swallowed hard, then picked up her chopsticks and nervously poked at the piece of beef in her bowl.

After taking two or three deep breaths, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and put the beef into her mouth as if she were going through fire and water.

"..."

Ryoko Hamabe and Yuki Hayakawa exchanged glances for a moment, then burst into silent laughter.

To be honest, such a saintly young lady is indeed rare.

It's quite cute.

However, out of consideration for the young lady's dignity, both of them kept their voices down and did not let out a sound.

"like……"

After chewing carefully for a couple of bites, the young lady swallowed the beef, her expression changing from initial tension to surprise.

"How about it?"

Watanabe Yu asked a question.

"It's alright? At least it's not as spicy as I expected? And the beef tastes good too."

Ayana Amamiya gave an extremely honest answer.

Perhaps it was because Mr. Troll added enough vinegar, or perhaps, as he said, he didn't put too much effort into the hot pot broth; in any case, she could actually tolerate the spiciness.

Her experience told her that even if she ate too much, her cheeks would probably still turn red from the spiciness.

"Then let's get started!"

Upon hearing this, Watanabe Yu smiled and picked up his chopsticks.

"I'm starting~"

Ryoko Hamabe and Yuki Hayakawa echoed the same sentiment.

But after she finished speaking, Yuki hesitated for a moment when she picked up her chopsticks.

It wasn't because she was embarrassed, or for any other reason; she was simply wondering how to bring up that topic.

—She also wants to move here for a while.

She had even come up with a reason: Ryoko was about to go from a JK (high school girl) to a JD (high school girl), and apart from that time during summer vacation, she had never been under the same roof with her in Tokyo.

Mom has reluctantly agreed, now it's just You's turn.

*
At the same time, in Risa Yasuhara's apartment.

Why are you acting like a salted fish?

As Eda Ikumi emerged from the bathroom, drying her hair, she glanced at her best friend sprawled on the sofa and muttered a somewhat helpless remark.

"Because there's just been so much going on lately, the sports meet, the school festival," Risa Yasuhara replied lazily. "It's one thing after another, like there's never enough time to do it all."

All I can say is, damn second semester.

There weren't this many problems in the first and third semesters!
“That’s normal. That’s how work is. Like last month, I was about to leave work when a case suddenly came up, so I had to go back and continue working overtime.”

Eda Ikumi shrugged, then raised her snow-white foot and gently stepped on Yasuhara Risa's calf.

"Don't make trouble."

Lying there like a corpse, Risa Yasuhara hugged a sofa pillow and muttered something in annoyance.

She truly had no strength left.

Because she now has to attend classes six days a week, she can only take one day off a week.

In a sense, she experienced what it was like to be a student again.

On the bright side, at least she doesn't have to do homework.

"Work is tough, but you can't just lie around doing nothing!"

Eda Ikumi gently stepped on the ground twice more.

"What else am I supposed to do if I don't lie down and relax?" Risa Yasuhara waved her hand dismissively. "Today is Saturday, tomorrow is the weekend, and the sports meet is the day after tomorrow. I definitely need to make the most of my time to rest."

Although there are no classes during the sports meet, she still has a lot of responsibilities as a teacher.

To put it bluntly, she's going to become a 'nanny' again, taking care of the 'lives' of such a large group of students in her class.

"Then you have to eat dinner before you lie around like a corpse."

Eda Ikumi rolled her eyes.

This man called her over and said he would treat her to dinner, but then he just lay there lying down.

"Just wait a moment."

Risa Yasuhara's voice was full of exhaustion.

"How long?"

To be honest, she wasn't hungry, but she was afraid her best friend had really fallen asleep.

"Shall we go to that yakitori restaurant for a bite to eat in two hours?"

Risa Yasuhara's voice grew increasingly indistinct.

She can't hold on any longer.

"can."

Upon hearing this, Eda Ikumi breathed a sigh of relief.

It only took two hours.

"Remember to call me..."

After saying this last sentence, Risa Yasuhara closed her eyes and switched from power-saving mode to shutdown mode.

(End of this chapter)