I'm in a crossover anime world, and I've been transported to Hogwarts twice.

In the culinary world, especially among top culinary families, the reach often extends to levels that are difficult for ordinary people to imagine.

Those "VIPs" who get to taste the dishes prepared by the Kino family are naturally of extraordinary status and influence.

It's not impossible that some scattered information about the behemoth "Chaldea" and one of its key figures, Genichi Hanyu, might occasionally leak from these people.

"I see."

Genichi Hanyu nodded knowingly, his playful smile deepening.

He stopped asking questions and turned his gaze back to Kobayashi Rindou, who stood beside him like a frightened bird with empty eyes.

"Kobayashi, anyway, what happened in the woods before was really just a joke. Although it went a bit too far and startled you, you really don't need to keep it in mind."

He shrugged, giving the impression that "I've already explained 247 clearly, believe it or not: Of course, if you insist on taking that joke seriously and holding a grudge, making yourself as easily frightened as a bird, then there's nothing I can do, after all, it's about freedom of thought."

His casual words of comfort were like salt rubbing into a wound for Kobayashi Rindou.

She opened her mouth, wanting to refute, wanting to accuse, but Ji Zhiguo Ningning's cold and cruel analysis and Yu Sheng Genichi's indifference as if he were looking down on ants made all her words stuck in her throat, leaving only humiliating silence and a deeper sense of powerlessness.

Genichi Hanyu seemed to have no intention of lingering any longer.

He turned his gaze back to Ji Zhiguo Ningning, his face once again displaying that gentle and harmless smile. He waved casually at her, his gesture as natural as if he were simply saying goodbye to an ordinary classmate.

"Well then, Mr. Ji, and Mr. Kobayashi, I'll take my leave now."

He glanced meaningfully at Kobayashi Rindou's still pale face, a faint hint of mockery playing on his lips, then turned and walked away without looking back, his figure quickly disappearing around the corner at the end of the corridor.

The suffocating atmosphere, filled with fear and oppression, finally dissipated slowly as Genichi Hanyu left.

Kobayashi Rindou's tense body suddenly went limp, like a puppet with its strings cut, and he was about to collapse to the ground.

Ji Zhiguo and Ningning reacted quickly and caught her.

"Ningning, has he... has he left?"

Kobayashi Rindou's voice was weak and trembling, as if he had survived a disaster. He gripped Kinokuni Nene's arm tightly, as if it were his only lifeline.

"Well, let's go."

Ji Zhiguo Ningning's voice remained calm, but the hand supporting Longdan tightened slightly, providing her with support.

After confirming that Genichi Hanyu had truly left, Rindou Kobayashi seemed to regain the ability to breathe.

She was panting heavily, her back soaked with cold sweat.

The immense fear subsided temporarily, replaced by an intense thirst for knowledge and a profound sense of unease!

She grabbed Nene's shoulders tightly, her crimson eyes filled with urgency and fear: "Nene, what exactly is this Chaldea you just mentioned? What kind of organization is it? And who exactly is that Genichi Hanyu? Why are you..."

She recalled Nene Ki no Kuni's calm, even cold, analysis, and the dangerously interested look in Genichi Hanyu's eyes when she mentioned Chaldea.

"Why do you know this?!"

Ji Zhiguo Ningning looked at the fear and confusion that was almost overflowing in Kobayashi Rindou's eyes and remained silent for a few seconds.

She pushed up her glasses, her gaze behind the lenses becoming unusually serious, and her voice lowered, carrying an unprecedented solemnity:

"Gentian Rindan, about Chaldea."

She paused, seemingly weighing her words.

"I can only tell you that it is an organization that cannot be measured by common sense or constrained by worldly rules. Its very existence represents a power and order that transcends our understanding. It is above the governments of various countries, and its tentacles extend into areas that we cannot imagine."

She looked at Kobayashi Rindou's widening eyes and said in a tone that was almost a warning: "As for more details, the less you know, the safer you are. That is not an area that we, or even Totsuki Academy, should touch or explore."

She avoided specific questions about Genichi Hanyu, but emphasized in a stronger tone: "So, Rindou-senpai, listen to me, forget everything that happened today, especially what happened in the forest. Don't inquire about Chaldea, and don't try to understand Genichi Hanyu. Treat him as an incomprehensible accident that accidentally entered your life, and stay as far away from him as possible. Curiosity can be fatal in the face of such a being."

Nene Kinokunori's words were like cold, ironclad rules, carrying an undeniable weight.

Looking at his friend's unprecedentedly serious expression and listening to her descriptions of "above all nations," "beyond comprehension," and "fatal curiosity," Kobayashi Rindou felt an even deeper chill creeping into his heart.

The boy who descended with flames and toyed with her like a demon.

Behind him was such a terrifying behemoth?

And yet, I had unwittingly provoked such a being?

A tremendous sense of fear and helplessness, like an icy tide, instantly overwhelmed Kobayashi Rindou.

She leaned against Kinokuni Nene, her body still trembling slightly, her eyes staring blankly in the direction where Genichi Hanyu had disappeared, truly experiencing for the first time the heavy meaning of the word "powerless".

Meanwhile, at the grand and modern main gate plaza of the school where Yukino Yukinoshita attends, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed everything in a warm golden hue.

The school bell had long since rung, and students in uniform poured out of the school gates like a tide, filled with youthful exuberance.

Genichi Hanyu appeared at the edge of the square, casually leaning against a decorative Roman column.

He deliberately concealed his presence, acting like an inconspicuous bystander, his gaze sweeping through the crowd, waiting for that aloof figure.

His gaze quickly locked onto his target.

Yukino Yukinoshita was walking from the direction of the school building.

She was still wearing her dark uniform, her posture upright and her steps composed, like a snow lotus standing alone amidst the hustle and bustle.

The golden glow of the setting sun fell on her long, smooth, black hair and delicate profile, outlining a cool and serene beauty.

However, what made Genichi Hanyu raise an eyebrow was that, walking side by side with Yukino was another equally eye-catching girl.

Shiina Mahiru.

She had long, smooth, flaxen hair with natural curls at the ends, cascading over her shoulders.

Her skin was so fair it was almost translucent, her features were as delicate as a doll's, and her caramel-colored eyes were crystal clear, carrying a natural gentleness and a shy purity.

She wore the same uniform as Yukino, but her demeanor was completely different.

Snow is cool and pure, just like warm sunshine—gentle, harmless, and carrying a tranquil aura that soothes the soul.

She followed closely behind Yukino, like a frightened little deer relying on a reliable companion.

Yukino Yukinoshita clearly also saw Genichi Hanyu leaning against the wall not far away.

A fleeting, almost imperceptible glint flashed in her cool eyes, like spring water quietly melting beneath the frozen surface of a lake, and the corners of her lips turned up slightly, almost imperceptibly.

But this small joy froze and cooled instantly when his gaze met Genichi Hanyu's eyes, which were filled with a playful smile as he looked at Mahiru Shiina with great interest.

She stopped and stood a few steps away from Genichi Hanyu.

Even the warm glow of the setting sun couldn't melt the thin layer of ice that had reappeared on her face.

She slightly raised her chin, her eyes, as clear as a winter pool, looking directly at Genichi Hanyu, her red lips parting slightly.

The voice, though not loud, clearly pierced through the surrounding noise, carrying a deliberate, cold, and even slightly sharp probing tone: "So, Genichi Hanyu."

She deliberately used a distant form of address, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Genichi Hanyu and the somewhat bewildered Mahiru Shiina beside her.

"You have condescended to appear here today."

Her tone carried a subtle hint of sarcasm. She paused for a moment, then clearly posed that soul-searching question:

"Are you here to see me, or to see Mahiru who is by my side?"

"..."

The air seemed to freeze in an instant.

Shiina Mahiru was somewhat taken aback by Yukino's sudden, provocative question.

She subconsciously looked at Genichi Hanyu, his clear amber eyes filled with confusion and a hint of helplessness, not understanding how she had suddenly become the focus of the problem.

She nervously clutched the hem of her skirt.

When Yuzuru Genichi heard Yukino's soul-searching question, which was full of "jealousy" and "trap," he was first slightly taken aback, and then his face showed an extremely interesting expression—a mixture of shock, helplessness, and a kind of "my little Yukino has gone bad" feeling.

He raised his hand to rub his temples, looking at Yukino Yukinoshita's cool little face that seemed to say "Let's see how you argue with that," and finally could only sigh helplessly with a touch of indulgence: "Little Yukino."

His voice trailed off, carrying a deep sense of helplessness and a hint of accusation.

"You've gone astray."

223 Yukino: I'm too lazy to even point out your little schemes.

Genichi Hanyu's long sigh, filled with indulgence and helplessness, was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, yet it failed to stir even the slightest ripple in Yukino Yukinoshita's heart.

The icy chill on her cool and delicate face did not melt away; instead, it solidified even more firmly.

The golden rays of the setting sun fell on her dark hair and straight nose, but they did not add any warmth to her. Instead, they made her eyes, which were like a cold pool in winter, appear even more deep and cold.

"Ah."

A clear, cold laugh escaped from Yukino Yukinoshita's lips, carrying an all-knowing sneer.

"If you're trying to change the subject with such a clumsy accusation."

She leaned forward slightly, her clear gaze like the most precise probe, firmly locking onto Genichi Hanyu, with an undeniable penetrating power: "Well, unfortunately, it's useless."

Her words were clear and calm, each syllable like an ice bead falling, carrying an unavoidable sharpness: "So, please answer me directly, why are you here today?"

Yukino's gaze swept over the somewhat uneasy Shiina Mahiru beside her again, her eyes filled with a subtle scrutiny, before refocusing on Genichi Hanyu's face and clearly uttering the question that seemed like a dead end: "Did you come to see me, or to see Mahiru beside me?"

She paused deliberately, then added, completely cutting off any vague answer that Genichi Hanyu might come up with: "Don't give me any insincere or perfunctory answers like 'I'm looking for the two of you.' I need a clear answer."

"..."

Genichi Hanyu was rendered speechless by Yukino's relentless, logically rigorous, and merciless questioning.

His helplessness deepened, even giving way to a genuine bitter smile.

"That's true. You're quite strict, Yukino."

He tried to soften the other person with a tone that was somewhat aggrieved and complaining, and his deep eyes also revealed a accusatory light at the right time.

However, Yukino Yukinoshita simply snorted softly, with a hint of disdain.

That slightly upturned nasal tone, like the sharpest ice pick, instantly pierced through the aggrieved atmosphere that Genichi Hanyu was trying to create.

Her gaze remained unwavering, instead becoming even sharper, as if to say: Stop with the nonsense, answer my question!

Faced with Yukino's unwavering, aggressive questioning, Genichi Hanyu felt a headache coming on.

He instinctively turned his pleading gaze to Shiina Mahiru, who appeared relatively harmless. He thought that this girl, always with a gentle, timid smile and a pure, animal-like demeanor, might be able to ease the awkward atmosphere.

However, when his gaze fell on Shiina Mahiru's face, he was taken aback to find...

Shiina Mahiru did not show any unease or try to avoid the situation as usual.

Instead, she tilted her head slightly, her clear amber eyes fixed on him, her face bearing that signature gentle, harmless smile, like the warm spring sun.

However, that smile seemed particularly meaningful to Genichi Hanyu at that moment.

There was no urging or questioning in her eyes, only a pure, slightly curious waiting.

It's as if he's saying in silence: Hmm, I'm curious too. How will Yuzuru-kun answer Yukino-san's question?

That detached and seemingly innocent attitude, as if he were just waiting for a good show to unfold, set off alarm bells in Genichi Hanyu's mind!

When did this girl learn to enjoy watching the drama unfold and not mind making things worse?

Could there be a hidden, cunning side beneath her gentle exterior?

With the icy Yukino pressing closer from the front and the innocent Mahiru watching with a smile from behind, Genichi Hanyu felt like he was being roasted on a fire, caught in a dilemma.

He glanced at Yukino's aloof face, which seemed to say, "You won't leave until you've explained yourself clearly today," and then at Mahiru's innocent smile, as if she were just passing by and watching the drama unfold.

A sudden thought of giving up and doing nothing suddenly came to mind.

Genichi Hanyu suddenly spread his hands, making an extremely exaggerated expression of helplessness, as if he had been forced into a corner. His voice also rose a few decibels, with a hint of playful teasing: "Oh dear! I really can't do anything with you guys!"

He sighed dramatically, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Yukino and Mahiru, a look of almost tragic determination on his face. "How about this instead!"

He suddenly clapped his hands, as if a flash of inspiration had struck him: "Why don't you just split me in two? Then you can each take half, the left side for Yukino and the right side for Mahiru. That would be fair, wouldn't it? No one would have to fight or snatch, a perfect solution!"

"..."

The air suddenly became quiet.

Yukino Yukinoshita was taken aback for a moment when she saw Genichi Hanyu's exaggerated and nonsensical attempt to defuse the crisis. Then, her clear and cold eyes revealed an undisguised look of disdain!

She curled her beautifully shaped red lips as if she had seen something extremely childish and ridiculous, and let out a clear, disdainful snort from her nose.

That look seemed to say: Genichi Hanyu, could you go any lower?

Even Shiina Mahiru, who had maintained a gentle smile throughout, had her smile freeze almost imperceptibly when she heard this absurd suggestion to split things in two.

A fleeting, extremely subtle emotion, a mixture of speechlessness and something else, flashed quickly across her clear, caramel-colored eyes.

A hidden, amusing emotion.