I said you are all war criminals

Soon, two steaming bowls of ramen were served. Slices of barbecued pork floated in the milky tonkotsu broth, garnished with emerald green onions and seaweed. The mere sight of it whetted one's appetite.

Xiangzi was tempted by the aroma, so she picked up the chopsticks and took a sip of the soup carefully.

The delicious flavor instantly blooms on the taste buds, and the rich soup spreads in the mouth, with a faint aroma of pork bones, but not a trace of greasy feeling.

"Well, I didn't lie to you, did I?" Bai Ye looked at Xiangzi's surprised expression and smiled proudly, "This shop is my private treasure trove. I don't tell ordinary people about it."

Xiangzi didn't say anything, but ate the noodles silently, but a satisfied smile appeared on her face. The ramen in this restaurant was indeed much more delicious than she had imagined.

"Do you like music very much?" Bai Ye asked casually while eating noodles in big mouthfuls.

"Hmm..." Xiangzi was stunned for a moment, then nodded, "Music is my life."

"So what do you think of the band? 'Your own music', I mean."

"Music is my life." Xiangzi repeated in a firm tone.

Bai Ye raised his eyebrows, "Life? So you want to use music to change the world and save the people?" He said in a deliberately exaggerated tone.

Xiangzi almost choked on his ramen.

"No, no..." She waved her hands quickly, her cheeks flushed slightly. "I don't have such lofty ideals. It's just...it's just that music is as important to me as life itself."

"More important than food battles?" Hakuno asked again.

Maybe because he had eaten something and entered the debuff state of "soft mouth after eating someone's food", Xiangzi was not as tough as he was at the beginning.

"I like food wars, but... music is me, it is who I am. I may not like music that much, but I... I can't give up music."

Xiangzi put down his chopsticks and stared blankly at his fingers. "Besides, in the end, it was the music that sustained me..."

After being kicked out of the Toyokawa family, Xiangzi felt that she could not make a living with music and could not let money taint music... But after going around in circles, she could only make money with music.

Moreover, compared to the customer service job that required selling one's soul and was almost a scam, this music job made money much faster... much faster.

After hearing what Xiangzi said, Hakuno didn't respond immediately, but quietly finished his bowl of ramen. The slurping sound echoed in the small ramen shop. Xiangzi could even hear Hakuno chewing the barbecued pork, which made her even more uncomfortable. She secretly looked at Hakuno and found that he also ate his noodles with a nonchalant attitude, as if this bowl of ramen was just an insignificant embellishment in his life.

A brief silence fell between the two. Xiangzi fiddled with her chopsticks nervously, thinking about leaving this oppressive place as soon as Bai Ye finished eating.

Hakuno finally finished eating. He pushed his empty bowl forward and looked at Xiangzi with a hint of amusement in his eyes. He asked a serious question: "Do you want to live a different life?"

A different life...what does that mean?

As if seeing through the doubt in Xiangzi's eyes, Bai Ye said bluntly.

"It's simple. Do you want to take the transfer exam for Totsuki Academy? I can pay for you to take it, and of course I'll pay the tuition too."

Chapter 52: Northward

"If you want to find your new self, go north. If you want to find your past self, go south... This is what I read in a book."

In the steaming ramen shop, Hakuno relaxed on the back of his chair and said this lazily.

"I would definitely go north, because I want to see a completely different version of myself and know about a brand new future."

"A brand new future...?"

Xiangzi was a little dazed.

But she immediately shook her head, completely erasing the tiny thought that subconsciously flashed through her mind. "Mr. Hakuno, to be frank, this is a matter of life and death—can you shoulder the responsibility of a person's life?"

"The only life anyone can shoulder is his own. I cannot and will not shoulder your life."

Bai Ye said without any concern, "But can you bear the responsibility of your own life?"

"This isn't something I can decide," Xiangzi muttered, his fingers rubbing the corner of the table nervously. "I've already taken on the responsibility of my own life. This isn't a question of whether I can or can't."

"Well, I don't have much to say then." Hakuno shrugged and easily changed the subject. "Speaking of which, how much do you know about ramen? The tonkotsu ramen in this shop is quite authentic. The broth is simmered for two whole days, using black pork bones from Kagoshima..."

Xiangzi was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting Hakuno to suddenly bring up ramen. Her tense nerves relaxed slightly, and she replied, somewhat bewilderedly, "It's...it's okay. I don't know much about ramen..."

"Haha, don't be nervous, I just suddenly remembered that when I was traveling in Kyushu before, I ate at a very special ramen restaurant..." Hakuno seemed to open up and began to talk about his past travel experiences. From the seafood ramen in Hokkaido, to the rich tonkotsu ramen in Hakata, to the exquisite chicken soup ramen in Kyoto, he knew them all like a gourmet who had traveled all over the country.

Xiangzi was a little reserved at first, only responding intermittently. But as Bai Ye described the food vividly, she gradually became attracted by the delicious food she had never seen before, and her original anxiety was replaced by curiosity and thirst for knowledge.

"You said that kind of ramen is made from puffer fish? Is that true? Aren't puffer fish poisonous?" Xiangzi widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief.

"Of course it's true. That store is a century-old brand. They have perfected the technology of processing puffer fish and it is absolutely safe. Moreover, the deliciousness of puffer fish is incomparable to that of ordinary fish. The taste..." Bai Ye paused deliberately when he said this, as if he was recalling the delicious taste at that time.

"How is it? Tell me quickly!" Xiangzi asked anxiously, his curiosity completely aroused.

Bai Ye cleared his throat. "The puffer fish meat is crystal clear and melts in your mouth. The delicious flavor explodes in your mouth. It's simply..."

He deliberately dragged out the ending tone, but did not continue.

"Just what? Tell me!"

Xiangzi stamped her feet in anxiety, wanting to grab Baiye's shoulders and interrogate him. Her greed was almost aroused.

"Let's talk about it next time," Bai Ye stood up and asked the owner to pay the bill. "It's getting late. I'll take you home."

“…No, that’s not necessary.”

Xiangzi extinguished his newly ignited passion for food and quickly stood up, picking up his keyboard. "I'll go home by myself. No need to bother you."

This wasn't politeness, but Xiangzi didn't want Bai Ye to find out about his poor family background. This man had no sense of boundaries at all. If he knew about Xiangzi's family situation, Xiangzi couldn't even imagine what he would say... Xiangzi didn't want to be pitied by others at all.

"That's no trouble. It won't take me long to take you home." Bai Ye said as he took Xiangzi's unopened keyboard. His other hand naturally pushed Xiangzi's back and gently pushed her out. "Let's go. It will be hard to get a taxi if we're late."

Xiangzi was caught off guard by his sudden action and was pushed away stiffly. However, he didn't want to overreact in front of the store owner, so he could only protest in a low voice: "Mr. Hakuno, please respect yourself! I can walk by myself!"

Bai Ye seemed to have completely ignored the resistance in her tone and continued to say with a smile, "Hey, don't be so formal, just call me Bai Ye. Besides, it's not safe for a girl to go home this late at night, so I'll feel more at ease if I take you home."

Finally, Xiangzi couldn't resist Bai Ye's "enthusiasm" and softened his tone a little, agreeing to let him take him to the station. Along the way, Bai Ye continued to talk about his travel experiences, as if he didn't notice Xiangzi's silence and alienation at all.

After finally arriving at the station, Xiangzi felt relieved and quickly hid behind the station sign, putting some distance between her and Bai Ye. She lowered her head, pretending to look at her phone, but in fact she was secretly observing Bai Ye out of the corner of her eye.

Hakuno didn't seem to notice her deliberate distance, still standing a few steps away from her, his eyes occasionally glancing at the approaching train. The dim light in the station cast a faint shadow on his face, making it difficult for Xiangzi to see his expression.

"By the way, Xiangzi, I think we haven't exchanged phone numbers yet?" Bai Ye suddenly turned around and said to Xiangzi with a smile, "It's a good time to remember each other's numbers now, so that it will be convenient to contact each other about band matters later."

Xiangzi resigned himself to taking Bai Ye's phone, his slender fingers dancing deftly on the screen, dialing his own number and then hanging up.

Hakuno put his phone away, looked at the approaching train, and waved.

"Then I'll go first. Be careful on the road."

"……goodbye."

Xiangzi boarded the train and headed north until he returned home.

As soon as he got home, before Xiangzi had time to open the door, he found a letter in the mailbox at the door.

The envelope was off-white and printed with a school emblem Xiangzi had never seen before. Curious, she opened the envelope and found an admission letter inside.

"Totsuki Saryo Culinary College?" Xiangzi looked at the words on the admission letter, confused. "When did I apply?"

She checked the admission letter over and over again and found that it actually had her name, date of birth, and even her home address written on it exactly. After researching it online, Xiangzi was sure that it was a genuine admission letter...

"How is this possible..." Xiangzi muttered to himself, and suddenly Bai Ye's face, which was in the shadow and whose expression could not be seen, appeared in his mind.

Could it be... is he?

...No, that's impossible. That guy shouldn't know where my home is, right? Xiangzi thought.

"Could this be done by my mother..."

Xiangzi's mind was in a mess.

And just then, a voice rang in her ears.

【Welcome to the Future Career Simulator】

【Please make your choice. 】

[1. Transfer to Totsuki Academy.]

【2. Continue to attend school in Hanaoka.】

Chapter 53: Xiangzi's Simulation

[The world you are simulating this time is: stage]

Your teammate for this simulation is: Toyokawa Shoko.

[The object of your simulation this time is: Bai Ye]

——That’s right, actually this simulator can also use Hakuno himself as the simulated character.

No one said no, right?

But then again, there is a reason why Bai Ye is just now going into battle.

simply put.

Because Hakuno Yuio doesn't play.

He simply wasn't interested in watching a grown man's butt swaying around on screen, even if that grown man was himself. This was the significance of why even FGO chose Gudako as the heroine—he even wanted to fuck his own clone.

However, the reason he was being called upon to act as a simulated character was to further burden Hongxia. If Hongxia truly considered Hakuno her spiritual home, he'd be deeply troubled... Hakuno, while a kind person, wasn't exactly good at comforting others. If Hongxia truly came seeking comfort, Hakuno wouldn't know what to do.

Closer to home.

Bai Ye's simulation this time was not entirely for fun, so he was well prepared.

The last time he simulated, he called up the simulator's pure text simulation, and the entire simulation content became so fantastic that he himself could hardly accept it... So this time, Bai Ye still used this version, but forced the simulator to start simulating from today.

However, this time he specifically turned on the spectator function to see how Xiangzi operated.

This wouldn't be fun in a competitive game, as cheating would damage the game's lifespan. However, this wasn't a competitive game, but a co-op one—Hakuno had also prepared a cheat for Xiangzi.

In fact, Xiangzi was now staring at the simulator in a daze.

【You chose to join Totsuki Academy.】

[Principal Nakiri Senzaemon of Totsuki Academy has received you and personally prepared a set of honzen cuisine for you.]

Honzen ryori can be considered the origin of Japanese cuisine, a high-end ceremonial cuisine. It was established during the Muromachi period, under the etiquette of samurai families. Today, formal honzen ryori is rare, appearing only at a few formal occasions, such as weddings, funerals, coming-of-age ceremonies, and festival banquets. You don't know why you're being treated so graciously, but you accept the principal's offer.

[That night, you had a strange feeling, as if you had become something other than human.]

【You turned into... a monster.】

"I, I will become a monster in the future?"

Xiangzi slapped himself on the face and said, "I must be crazy to think that this might really be the future..."

Hakuno couldn't see Xiangzi's reaction, he could only see the contents of the simulator and the choices Xiangzi made. However, this didn't stop him from laughing secretly.

In this setting, Hakuno set himself and Xiangzi as "half-demons". Once they eat something good enough, they will awaken the demon nature in their bodies. As for what is "good enough", Hakuno of course took advantage of the food battles that appeared in the world view and directly came up with a setting that "Dragon Chef" level cuisine can make half-demons awaken their blood.

That’s right, it’s the “Dragon Chef” that often appears in that food anime. Although Hakuno still can’t figure out whether this setting comes from Little Chef or some other food anime, this doesn’t prevent him from writing it into the setting.

Before the simulation began, or to be more precise, while watching the fried rice food battle, he secretly completed the admission procedures for Xiangzi, and the banquet hosted by Nakiri Senzaemon in exchange for two tons of gold was a means to unleash Xiangzi's potential.

...As for whether Senzaemon could not be considered the dragon chef in his setting, Hakuno himself was not sure.

He just talked nonsense and left the solution to the simulator.

"Oh, by the way, I'm going to leave the simulation on hold for now. Call me when the choice comes up. I'll take a look at Xiangzi's story first."

Bai Ye arranged the operation of the simulator without any pressure, and then continued to watch the plot on Xiangzi's side.

You look at the horn growing on your forehead, feeling a little flustered. You don't know what's happening, and you don't know what to do.

In your excitement, you find your strength has increased several times, even dozens of times. A single bump on a roadside tree snaps, and the wall you crash into is like a block of tofu, unable to stop you. It's like you've strayed into a world made of clouds, where everything feels so fragile.

Just when you almost thought you were dreaming, Nakiri Senzaemon appeared before you. He didn't seem surprised by your transformation, and instead subdued you with his bare hands.

He brought you to Totsuki Academy and explained the current situation to you on the way.

"Simply put, you're a half-demon."

You feel like your head is about to explode. "Are you saying... I'm not actually a human, but a monster?"

Nakiri Senzaemon, who was sitting next to you, said calmly, "It's a half-demon, half demon, half human."

You simply felt your worldview undergo a massive shock. Because the Toyokawa family didn't believe in gods or Buddhas, you were raised in a materialistic way, and you never considered that monsters could actually exist in this world.

"How can there really be monsters in this world... My parents, my parents are human!" You mutter unacceptably.

"There are far more half-demons than you imagine," Senzaemon explained. "It's not that your parents were youkai. It's that the youkai themselves seemed to have entered a secluded paradise called 'Gensokyo' hundreds of years ago. The remaining half-demon bloodlines are very rare. Perhaps only your ancestors from a dozen generations ago were youkai... If it weren't for the dishes carefully prepared by Chef Youlong, the youkai bloodline in you would never have awakened in your lifetime."

"Dragon Chef?" You were stunned. "I only know of 'Special Chef'. What is a Dragon Chef?"