"Senpaku, I am Sakamoto. What brings you here?"

Time seemed to stand still in the corner where Nagumo Masaru and Asahina Nazuna were.

The dining table covered with a dark red velvet cloth and flickering with candlelight

It stands out starkly from the noisy environment around it, filled with the chatter of students.

It created a bizarre yet magnificent landscape.

An enticing aroma and the sheen of a top-quality dish.

It constantly stimulates the senses of the surrounding students.

This drew gasps of amazement and whispers.

"Those dishes...look so delicious!"

"How come they're eating this in the cafeteria?"

"That person... isn't it Sakamoto from the first year? Just who is he?"

Nan Yunya sat at the dining table.

Faced with dishes so exquisite they resembled works of art

But the cutlery in his hands remained untouched.

His brain remained in a state of numbness due to overload.

who am I?

where am I?

what am i doing?

These three philosophical questions were playing in his mind.

He tried to analyze everything before him rationally:

How did Sakamoto manage to prepare all these dishes all by himself overnight?

How to keep food fresh?

How to complete this extravagant decoration in front of everyone in the cafeteria?

Every question defies common sense.

It points to an answer he cannot understand, or even does not want to understand.

This guy named Sakamoto,

He's not a normal person at all!

His previous idea of ​​"controlling him" and "making fun of him"

It seems so ridiculous and childish at this moment.

The "interview period" that I proposed myself.

It seemed to have become a huge trap.

He trapped himself completely.

This is not an interview at all.

It was a public execution!

He could even feel the gazes directed at him from all around.

Curiosity, envy, curiosity, and even... a hint of watching a monkey show.

He Nan Yunya,

The de facto controller of the second grade,

When have you ever been treated like this?

Asahina Nasu adapted very quickly.

After the initial shock,

She quickly became engrossed in the food and the absurd atmosphere.

She gracefully cut off a small piece of foie gras and put it in her mouth.

His eyes suddenly lit up.

"Mmm~! Ya, you have to try this! This foie gras melts in your mouth, and the sweet and sour sauce is perfectly balanced! It's even better than that fancy restaurant at school!"

She also tasted the lobster soup.

I couldn't help but exclaim in amazement again:

"Wow... the richness and umami of this soup... Sakamoto-kun, you're amazing! Did you really make this all by yourself?"

Her praise was heartfelt.

Nagumo mechanically picked up the spoon.

I scooped up a spoonful of soup and put it in my mouth.

moment,

The intense umami flavor and perfect temperature stimulated his taste buds.

Indeed...it was incredibly delicious.

But the delicious food only made him feel more panicked and bewildered.

He ate what was probably the most "premium" and most "unpleasant" lunch of his life with a bland, tasteless feeling.

I just want to end this farce as soon as possible.

And Sakamoto was the one who created all of this.

At this moment, however, they were sitting quietly in an ordinary corner, a few tables away from them.

In front of him was the most ordinary set meal served in the cafeteria that day—rice, miso soup, and a small portion of vegetables.

He sat upright, holding chopsticks.

With impeccable, even somewhat ritualistic, elegance,

Enjoy this simple lunch in peace.

He acted as if the "candlelight luncheon" performance that had just shocked the audience had nothing to do with him.

He ate with utmost care.

Chew each bite slowly and carefully.

His expression was focused, as if he were savoring some delicacies.

That composure and immersion,

His manner was completely different from when he served Nanyun.

A stark contrast between the two art styles.

It produces different effects in the eyes of different people.

According to some of his admirers...

This is a perfect example of "keeping a low profile while demonstrating strength"!

In Nan Yun's view,

This is blatant mockery from CHI!

From another person's perspective...

This scene, however, is full of incomprehensible contradictions.

Long Yuanxiang stood at the entrance of the cafeteria, arms crossed, brows furrowed.

His sharp gaze swept back and forth between the extravagance of Nagumo's table and the simplicity of Sakamoto's.

Sakamoto's respectful service to the two men...

And the way he looks now, quietly eating a simple meal by himself.

They kept intertwining and colliding in his mind.

Cooperation?

To please?

Not like.

Coerced?

It's even less like it.

That respect was tinged with a sense of ease and confidence.

Moreover, this scene is just too bizarre.

This once again changed Ryuen's understanding of Sakamoto.

He no longer hesitated.

Take a step, and walk through the crowd.

He walked straight to the dining table where Sakamoto was sitting alone.

Without any politeness,

He sat down opposite Sakamoto.

Sakamoto paused slightly while eating.

Raise your eyes,

Behind his black-rimmed glasses, his gaze calmly fell upon the uninvited leader of Class B.

He showed no surprise whatsoever.

"Yo, Sakamoto."

Long Yuan got straight to the point, nodding his chin in the direction of Nan Yun.

"You're really going all out. Who are those two? Are they worth you, Sakamoto, going to such lengths to... serve them?"

He tried to find a flaw in Sakamoto's face.

Sakamoto put down his chopsticks.

He picked up a tissue and gently wiped the corner of his mouth.

Why is Ryuen interested in this matter?

"Cut the nonsense."

Long Yuan scoffed.

"I saw how respectful you were to them. Second year? Student council? Did you... make some kind of deal with them? Or was that test paper sent to each class not a frame-up at all, but part of a collaboration between you?"

He directly raised his biggest suspicion.

Now that things have come to this, there's no need to hide it anymore.

He stared intently into Sakamoto's eyes.

Sakamoto listened quietly to Ryuen's questions.

There was silence for a moment.

Then, he gently pushed up his glasses.

He calmly gave an answer that completely surprised Longyuan:

“Ryuen-kun, you misunderstand. That one is the second-year vice president, Nagumo Miyabi, and the other is Asahina Nazuna-senpai. I have no dealings with them.”

He paused,

His gaze swept over Nan Yun, who was sitting on pins and needles in the distance, and he continued to explain:

"I am currently in the 'one-week interview period' for applying to join the student council. And this week's interviewer happens to be Vice President Nagumo. The interview assessment he proposed is that I 'completely obey his orders and arrangements' during this week. Everything just now was just part of fulfilling my duties during the trial period."

"Interview period? Completely at your beck and call?"