People bring their own maids to the training camp

This made Chihaya somewhat happy, since no one would dislike a girl like that.

"There's about half an hour left before closing time, isn't it? It doesn't really matter, but if we stay any longer, some of the popular set meals at the cafeteria will be sold out," Chihaya "kindly" reminded her.

“That’s true, it’s almost time for dinner…” Shiina glanced at the book she was half-reading in her hand with a troubled expression, then looked at Chihaya who was smiling beside her, “Would you like to have dinner with us, Himegami-san?”

"Okay." Chihaya readily agreed; that's exactly what I've been waiting for!

"Let's go and complete the borrowing procedures first. I bet you haven't finished reading all of Princess's books yet, right? Borrowing books is free, but you'll have to use points to make up for any overdue borrowing."

"That makes sense. Let's go then."

So the two got up and went to the librarian to check out the books, and then headed to the restaurant.

It was probably past the peak dining time. Although the cafeteria was bustling, most students were eating or had just finished eating, so almost no students were standing in front of the ticket machines.

Chihaya usually eats lunch at the cafeteria with a large group of friends, including Honami and Hayasaka, so she knows most of the set meals by heart.

Even now, Fanbo and others still tease him from time to time about that classic "tempura set meal with mayonnaise".

Because he was familiar with the set menus, Chihaya usually planned what to eat in advance. Although tonight's dinner was a last-minute decision, he quickly made his choice.

After completing the process and receiving the meal voucher, Chihaya turned to look at Shiina beside her and noticed that the other person seemed to be still hesitating.

47. Cafeteria

Shiina seemed to be having trouble making a decision; she hesitated, moving her fingers up, down, left, and right, but didn't press the button for a long time.

"And Princess, could you please wait a moment?"

"It's alright." Chihaya didn't take it to heart. He had eaten lunch with the girls every day and had seen too many similar scenes.

Indecisiveness is common, and he has been quite patient with it.

"What kind of set meals do you usually like to eat, Shiina-kun?" Chihaya asked casually.

"Well, I usually buy lunch at the convenience store in the morning and then eat it in the classroom at noon."

"Hmm? Shiina-kun, you wouldn't... be here for the cafeteria for the first time, would you?" Chihaya wondered, and then asked.

"Hahaha, is it that obvious?" Shiina wasn't embarrassed at all. "You noticed."

"So it's not that you have trouble making a choice, but rather that you don't know the specific details of the package."

It takes courage to venture into places you've never been before. Because you're unfamiliar with the area, you might feel lost. Also, the pride of not wanting regulars to see you as completely ignorant can be a mental hurdle.

Chihaya had similar thoughts when she first started crossdressing. But now she's basically used to it.

Developing a habit is a terrible thing. For example, Chihaya is now very picky about her clothes.

"So, does Princess often eat in the cafeteria?" Shiina readily admitted, seemingly not thinking that not having eaten in the cafeteria was a big deal.

“It happens quite often. The girls in our Class B often come here together for lunch.” Chihaya nodded. “If you don’t mind, how about I give you a brief introduction? It would be great if it could help you.”

"Huh? Really? Thank you so much, Himegami-kun!" Shiina clasped her hands together and tilted her head slightly, looking incredibly cute.

"The safest bet is the daily set meal; you're unlikely to be disappointed, but it won't be particularly amazing either," Chihaya said. "Then there are set meals at different price points, with the principle that the higher the price, the better the taste—of course, this also depends on your personal preferences, Shiina-kun. If you don't like a certain food, don't try it just because it looks good, okay?"

"Hime-kun, does it sound like you've experienced something similar?"

"Yes, a classmate ordered an expensive set meal for this reason, and then everyone helped her pay for it."

"Yes, I've learned my lesson!" Shiina nodded very seriously. "I will choose carefully!"

"The ingredients in the cafeteria are all very fresh, so you can rest assured about that, Shiina," Chihaya added. "Just pick whatever you like, okay?"

"Mmm." Shiina nodded, then turned her gaze back to the screen on the ordering machine.

Finally, Shiina made up her mind and made the same choice as Chihaya.

"Since it was Himegami-san who brought me here, I'd like to try the same flavor as Himegami-san, wouldn't you like?" Shiina smiled at Chihaya.

"Okay, let's go get the food."

The two got their food and sat down at an empty seat.

Shiina picked up the chopsticks with her hand and gracefully put the food into her mouth; her posture with the chopsticks was very beautiful.

"Oh, I see... The food in the school cafeteria is indeed delicious, I'll keep that in mind."

"Speaking of which, has Shiina been eating convenience store bento boxes since the start of the semester?" Chihaya asked after hearing Shiina's remark.

"Yes, it will save more time, so you can spend a little more time in the library during your lunch break."

Chihaya couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement at the thought of someone so engrossed in studying that they almost forgot to eat and sleep.

Considering the crowds in the cafeteria during lunch break and the distance involved, buying a ready-made bento box from a convenience store is indeed the most time-saving option.

However, considering both taste and cost-effectiveness, the cafeteria is still the best option.

After all, convenience store food is too bland—Chihaya's palate is a little picky.

"I see."

"Have you ever eaten at a convenience store, Princess?" Shiina asked casually.

"Hmm, no, I'm a bit of a self-cooker, I make my own breakfast and dinner."

"Wow, that's amazing!" Shiina didn't hold back her praise. "I really admire people who are willing to cook for themselves. I've thought about learning to cook before, but I would only look at a recipe for a few minutes before running off to read mystery novels."

"Shiina-kun, you flatter me. Although eating in the cafeteria is very cost-effective, buying your own groceries would be even cheaper, you know?"

"I see." Shiina nodded repeatedly. "Hime-kun is the homebody type."

"Do I look like someone who spends a lot of money?" Chihaya joked.

"No, Princess looks like I'm the kind of person who'd be happy to spend money on you."

"Oh dear, I'm so embarrassed by what you said, Shiina-kun."

"I'm just telling the truth. Princess is quite famous at school, isn't she? Even someone like me who doesn't care about anything often hears about you."

"It's nothing special, and if possible, I'd like to keep a low profile."

Actually, Chihaya's visit to the library today was completely accidental: someone had asked him to meet nearby to confess their feelings, and after politely declining, he saw the library and impulsively went inside.

Chihaya naturally wouldn't tell Shiina about this, after all, it's really too strange for a grown man to be confessed to by another man while dressed as a woman! Chihaya's pride was at play, and he wouldn't allow himself to tell anyone other than Hayasaka about being confessed to by a dozen boys.

"How about we read together at the library at noon? It's much less crowded then. The only problem is that food and water are not allowed in the library."

"I'll think about it," Chihaya replied. "But with today's breakthrough, and taking this lunch as an opportunity, maybe you, Shiina-kun, will be able to eat in the cafeteria from now on."

“Yeah, people really should be brave.” Shiina agreed. “I’ve actually been interested in the student cafeteria for a long time, but I couldn’t find the right opportunity to try it for the first time, so I’ve never eaten here before. This time I thought it was a rare opportunity, so I mustered up my courage.”

She couldn't find a reason to come here for the first time; in other words, she didn't have any friends in her class with whom she could have lunch. Chihaya silently made her judgment.

In addition, she has an inexplicable enthusiasm for reading, and although she is very cute, she is probably the type to keep to herself.

Safe!

Chihaya gave Shiina an initial label.

48. Hayasaka's Jealousy (Bonus Chapter)

After dinner, Chihaya and Shiina returned to the dormitory building together and went back to their respective rooms.

When Chihaya opened the door and found the lights on, she belatedly realized that she had forgotten to tell Hayasaka about her impromptu decision to have dinner with Shiina at the cafeteria.

Furthermore, because her phone was on silent before entering the library, she didn't realize that Hayasaka had sent her a message on the messaging app.

"You're back..." Hayasaka's plaintive voice rang out, "I thought you took the opportunity to accept the confession and then went on a sweet lovey-dovey date."

"Cough cough, how could that be? I just went to the library to read for a while."

"Because books are spiritual nourishment, you're so full from reading that you don't come home for dinner, right?" Hayasaka asked quietly. "That's true, I'm still growing, and you, Miss, are considerate of the poor maid, so you deliberately don't come home so she can have dinner for two..."

Before Chihaya could speak, Hayasaka continued.

"But the dear young lady had no idea that her poor little maid was too worried about her mistress to eat even a single bite of food."

"Stop acting, I can see the food in your bowl." Chihaya said helplessly. "Besides, I didn't do it on purpose, I was just gathering information."

"So it's all my fault." Hayasaka immediately sat up straight and bowed. "I'm sorry, please allow me to commit seppuku."

"...Stop acting, I don't want to be your second."

"Okay." Hayasaka immediately stood up and returned to her seat, picking up her bowl and chopsticks. "Would you like some more?"

"No, I think. I've already exceeded my intake by eating in the cafeteria tonight, and there's no archery practice today."

"You're becoming more and more attuned to a woman's way of thinking," Hayasaka praised. "Keep it up!"

"I don't think this is anything to be happy about at all!" Chihaya's face darkened.

If given the choice, what guy wouldn't want to be a tough guy? He doesn't have to be like Schwarzenegger, but he should at least be like Jet Li.

"Even boys need to pay attention to their physique, you know? Did you know that even the famous Brazilian soccer star Neymar gets cosmetic procedures?"

"What does it have to do with me?"

"You are naturally beautiful, you don't need cosmetic surgery."

"Alright, alright, stop talking nonsense." Chizuru sat down on the sofa. "I ran into Shiina Hiyori from Class C at the library."

"Hmm, what about that cute third-place winner?" Hayasaka suddenly said.

This third place winner is naturally the third place winner from the previous knowledge competition.

“I helped her get a book from the bookshelf and then started a conversation with her.”

"Tsk, having long legs definitely has its advantages."

"I felt it was an opportunity to learn about the situation in Class C, so we went to the cafeteria for dinner together."

"So, what information did you get about Class C?" Hayasaka asked. "The leader? The class atmosphere? Information on other key figures?"

Chihaya blinked. Although the purpose was to get information from Shiina, the topic seemed to have turned into the daily routine of the praise group.

"You didn't actually ask any questions and just ended up enjoying dinner with a beautiful girl, did you?" Hayasaka asked the probing question. "I have no objection to you trying to seduce a beautiful girl, but I hope you won't try to fool me with work as an excuse!"

"I did want to find out information, but that child, whether you say he's a bit naive or what, isn't a suitable person to gather intelligence from."

"Isn't this just a simple date?"

"It's just dinner, who goes on a date in the cafeteria!"