Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 135, Section 11: "The Stage Leading to the Future"

Leaving the teaching building, the group walked through the courtyard where a play was being performed.

Tall beech trees lined the walkway extending from the school building, and student-run open-air vendors were neatly arranged beneath them.

Fried noodles, takoyaki, waffles, grilled rice cakes, yakitori, ramen... The students soliciting customers and the ordinary tourists eating on the spot made the atmosphere as lively as a festival.

Students wearing "Cultural Festival Executive Committee" armbands patrolled back and forth, reminding everyone to pay attention to fire safety and food safety.

Thank you for your patronage!

Masumi bought six skewers of salt-grilled chicken with scallions, each costing 100 yen, and packed them in paper cups.

The surface was visibly charred, but it was still more reassuring than eating it undercooked.

"Awooo—chew~"

Haiyue, who was queuing with him at the yakitori stand, ate very quickly. In the blink of an eye, only bare bamboo skewers remained in the paper cup.

Seeing her eyes squinting contentedly, Masumi couldn't help but ask curiously, "You seem to be enjoying your meal. What cut of meat did you buy?"

"Bai Zi," Hai Yue replied calmly.

"Oh, I see."

The answer was a little unexpected, but grilled shirako is a very common type of yakitori skewer, so Masumi nodded slightly.

"I had... sea bream last time... so I'd like to try... other kinds too..."

The jellyfish girl licked the corner of her lips, the grease from the yakitori smearing onto them, glistening with an alluring sheen.

To use a rather inappropriate metaphor, the expression on her face was like that of a young girl who had just tasted the forbidden fruit, experiencing the pleasure so intensely that she couldn't control herself.

"I see. But the grilled milt in yakitori is a little different from the milt in sea bream."

"Different...?" Haiyue tilted her head in confusion.

The next moment, she suddenly covered her mouth and let out a "woo-eh-eh" sound through her teeth.

"What's wrong?!" Masumi asked worriedly.

"It's a bit... disgusting..."

The jellyfish girl looked pale.

Was it because you ate too much greasy food in one go? This yakitori stall is known for its heavy use of oil and salt, and its intense cooking.

"Are you alright, Yuukawa?"

"water."

"Oh, wait a minute."

Masumi led the girl to an empty bench some distance from the courtyard, had her sit down, and then walked to the vending machine alone, bought a bottle of mineral water, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to her.

"Here, drink slowly."

"Ah."

Snow-white fingers peeked out from the sleeve of the sweatshirt. Haiyue took the mineral water but hesitated to drink it.

"Why aren't you drinking?" Masumi asked.

"I ate too fast just now... and swallowed it all... What if it's swimming in my stomach...?"

The jellyfish girl looked worried and serious.

"There won't be such a problem," Masumi said gently, her lips curving into a slight smile as if she found it amusing.

"By the way, everything was fine when we ate tempura last time, wasn't it?"

"That one tastes different...it just slides right into my mouth..."

“Ah, I understand.” Masumi nodded. “The fish milt has a very smooth texture, and if it’s prepared properly, the flavor isn’t too strong.”

"Hmm... but I didn't dislike the taste just now..."

Haiyue frowned slightly, observing her adorable, awkward expression, like a little animal. Masumi smiled and said:

"Really? If you like to eat shirako (cod roe), just tell me next time and I'll buy some for you."

"Any kind of white piece... is that okay...?"

The jellyfish girl stared straight at him.

"Uh, more or less, but I can't afford the really expensive ones, like wild pufferfish or real cod."

"Regular cod, or even affordable pufferfish, is fine."

Masumi thought for a moment and said, "However, cod and pufferfish are not in their spawning season yet. Once the weather gets colder and autumn is in full swing, it will be salmon season."

After the Cold Dew solar term, September to November is the peak season for Hokkaido whitefish, known as "autumn salmon." Whether it's the tender and bouncy flesh, the plump, ruby-like salmon roe, or the smooth and rich salmon milt, they are all delicious treats worth tasting.

A box of raw salmon roe from Hokkaido can be bought at a convenience store for only two or three hundred yen.

"...What do you think?"

"Hmm... Masumi... is fine..." Kaigetsu nodded vaguely.

The jellyfish girl, who had just been eager to try more of the fish roe, now seemed a little uninterested as she listened to what he was saying.

"Animals...only lay eggs and produce whites during their season..."

She murmured softly, her tone sounding as if she were sighing.

"Yes, after all, the estrus cycle of animals is controlled by the seasons."

"But humans... don't... have... anytime... they can..."

"Eh, um, that's right, because they're higher animals, right?" Since she wasn't a biologist herself, Masumi casually replied.

"If you want to eat it, then please wait patiently a little longer."

"Hmm...I understand..." Haiyue nodded gently, "I will...be patient..."

It always felt a bit subtle and strange, but after spending so much time together, Masumi had gotten used to the jellyfish girl's unpredictable behavior.

She was probably really the soul of a jellyfish that couldn't swim, reincarnated into a human girl, light novel author Masumi Miyazawa speculated irresponsibly.

"—Masumi-nii, you guys are here."

Holding a steaming bowl of ramen in her hands, Qian Ai walked over with a beaming smile.

"Oh, you bought ramen."

"Yes." Asami nodded. "Rinne said this ramen is delicious."

"Huh?" Masumi asked in surprise, "A ramen shop run by the school?"

"It's the judo club's booth."

Rinne explained slowly, "They set up a ramen stall every year. It is said that it started with the 48th president. His family owned a ramen shop, and he would teach the club members how to make ramen in his spare time. The skill has been passed down from one president to the next."

"That's really impressive." Masumi said admiringly.

The members of the judo club must have plenty of arm strength and hand strength, which seems surprisingly good for making noodles.

"Masumi, I brought an extra pair of chopsticks, let's eat together."

Kurokawa Mio smiled happily and handed him disposable chopsticks.

"Thank you, but no thanks," Masumi politely declined. "I already bought yakitori."

"Hey, you're a guy, how can you be full with so little food?"

“In the Sengoku period, foot soldiers only ate two rice balls a day, yet they could follow Oda Nobunaga on a raid of twenty or thirty kilometers, from Kiyosu Castle to Okehazama.”

Kurokawa Mio ignored his words, casually took his arm, and forcefully pulled Masumi to sit down on the bench.

"Knowing Masumi likes spicy food, I specially bought spicy ramen." The shoulder on the side of the arm being held sank, and the pungent aroma of bright red chili broth filled her nostrils. "Come on, Masumi, open your mouth—"

The bowl of ramen kept tilting, and to avoid getting ramen soup all over herself, Masumi had no choice but to obediently open her mouth.

The noodles, of moderate thickness, are very chewy and blend perfectly with the hot and spicy broth. The spiciness is just right and doesn't overpower the flavor.

The moment you bite into the noodles, the flavor of wheat bursts in your mouth, dominating your taste buds.

"The judo club's noodles are really something else."

Masumi praised frankly.

“Right?” Kurokawa Mio said with a smile, even though she hadn’t eaten a single bite yet.

Her long, honey-gold hair swayed gently as she stretched out her legs, the toes of her high-heeled sandals pointing straight up, her beautiful, vermilion-dyed toenails gleaming in the sunlight.

"Ah~ I feel like sitting side by side with Masumi on a bench like this, feeding her, feels just like a high school couple on a date at the school festival."

She smiled gently.

"Love, lovers!? Cough cough cough!"

Qian Ai suddenly choked and coughed violently.

"Hey, are you alright, Chia?" Asami casually took a tissue from Masumi's pocket and handed it to her.

"No, it's okay."

After catching her breath, Chiai stood up in a panic, moved closer to Masumi, and forced a smile: "Masumi-nii! Try mine too! It's beef bone broth, and it's really delicious!"

"Chiai is three years younger than Masumi, so she can just be a good younger sister. Masumi and I are the same age. If we were in the same high school, we would definitely be a model couple."

Kurokawa Mio gave Chiai a cold look, but perhaps due to a heartfelt sense of happiness, the faint blush on her cheeks hadn't faded, which greatly diminished the power of her gaze.

The childhood friend mustered her courage and retorted unhappily, "Then Mio-neechan isn't a high school student anymore, is she?"

"Masumi and I are a destined couple, and we will be together sooner or later."

Kurokawa Mio didn't care at all, confidently tossing her blonde hair.

“Really? But Yuanyang is actually a playboy!” Qian Ai retorted.

"Besides, I've known Masumi-nii for much longer than Mio-neechan. We're childhood sweethearts, inseparable since we were little!"

"Yes, yes, yes, Qian'ai sister."

"But as far as I know, it's rare for childhood sweethearts to end up together, because they're too familiar with each other and there's no novelty. In this respect, I'm sure I can offer Masumi more variety."

A smug and provocative smile curved Kurokawa Mio's lips as she crossed her long, slender legs beneath her skirt.

Even though she was sitting on the bench, facing her childhood sweetheart who had stood up, she had a condescending, scrutinizing air about her.

"She looks so cute when she's annoyed, just like a kitten meowing."

Qian'ai was even more annoyed by the seemingly arrogant attitude, but due to her personality, she just stomped her feet without any real threat.

"What kind of description is that! Mio-neechan is so disrespectful!"

Masumi couldn't even exhale; her breath seemed to stagnate along with the air. Just then, a small boat drifted by from outside the whirlpool of emotions that was about to drown her.

Rinne said coldly, "The performance is about to start. Don't linger too long. Let's finish lunch quickly and head to the stadium."

The arguing finally subsided.

◇

After lunch, the group walked along the corridor to the front of the stadium.

Through the open gate, you can see that a large number of people have already gathered inside.

Thunderous applause erupted from the crowd of students, teachers, and residents of the surrounding area.

On stage, the Taipei High School Wind Ensemble is playing the theme song of a recently popular TV series.

The brochure states that the brass band won the silver medal at the Kansai Competition in August, their best result in recent years, and the school specially extended the club's performance time.

As expected, not all schools can be like Osaka Toin, which dominates in both college entrance exams, baseball, and the brass band.

Incidentally, after the Obon holiday, Masumi and Asami watched the Summer Koshien tournament together, where Osaka Toin, the Spring Koshien champion, was surprisingly eliminated in the quarterfinals.

"But the broadcasting club at Beigao High School is really good," Chiai said proudly. "They're regulars in the national competitions."

Or rather, the overall level of the school broadcasting departments in Hyogo Prefecture is very high, and the announcers for Koshien are generally selected from the winning schools of the Hyogo Prefecture tournament.

Chatting about unrelated topics, the six of them walked into the stadium, which was already full of spectators, and they couldn't find any empty seats.

"Well, looks like I'll have to stand and watch." Mami sighed in exasperation. "I didn't expect there to be so many viewers."

"It's okay, the view might even be better this way," Masumi said, seemingly reassured.

"Oh yeah, when I was little, I always rode on my dad's shoulders to see shows," Mami teased. "Why don't you try to do it for me, Masumi-kun?"

"Spare me, you're not a child anymore."

"What? Are you implying I'm fat?!" Mami nudged him with her elbow, looking displeased. "I have a perfectly healthy figure, okay?"

"Yes, yes, but I can't stand being sandwiched between your healthy thighs," Masumi sighed.

Mami glared at him fiercely, then turned her face away.

"...Duplicity, Masumi-kun."

Hearing her soft murmur, Masumi put on a helpless expression, and her cuff was suddenly tugged slightly.

The beautiful woman with long, honey-gold hair stared intently at him.

"Masumi, I'm very gentle, and I won't clamp your legs around you... I'll try my best," Kurokawa Mio said, biting her lip.

Rinne looked at Masumi with displeasure, "Don't do things that will attract attention."

Huh? Why are you glaring at me? I never said I was going to do it.

During the performance, the six people moved quietly to the middle of the standing audience, when they suddenly heard a soft "Excuse me" or "Excuse me" from the crowd.

A short-haired girl with brown hair extensions and cat-ear buns on her head pushed through the crowd.

"Toyama?"

Masumi asked tentatively.

"Hey, it's Miyazawa-senpai? Great, I've finally found you."

The girl's lips curled up in delight, and then Asami, who was looking over, greeted her, "Long time no see, Aimi. It's been two volumes since we last saw each other."

"It would be easier to say it's been three months since we last met, Mami-senpai."

Toyama Aimi, a third-year student at Hanakawa High School, was previously the guitarist for the band Meteor. She invited Mirai to join the band.

"Why are you in the audience? Shouldn't you be preparing to go on stage?"

“I came here specifically to find you,” Aimee explained. “There are a lot of audience members today, and I was worried that you wouldn’t have enough seats, so I specially reserved seats for you as VIPs.”

"Huh? I never thought I'd be assigned a seat for someone with connections." Mami blinked in surprise.

"Okay." Because of the time constraints, Aimei didn't have time to joke around and said softly, "Please come with me, seniors."

After being led to the reserved seats, Aimei hurriedly went backstage.

"This year, Taipei High School won the silver medal at the Kansai Tournament. We will continue to work hard and ask for your continued support."

The head of the wind instrument section bowed, and thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

A moment later, as the members of the wind instrument ensemble left the stage in an orderly fashion, carrying their instruments, the stage curtain slowly descended, and the announcer's voice immediately rang out.

"—The next group to perform is the Meteor Band."

(End of this chapter)