"Yukima-san, do you want so shaved ice?"
Fujiwara Chika cheerfully held up a colorful serving of shaved ice in front of Yukima Azuma.
Seeing him shake his head, she promptly scooped a large spoonful into her mouth.
"You'll get 'brain freeze' if you eat it like that."
Yukima Azuma cautioned.
Hearing that, Fujiwara Chika blinked in confusion.
"'Brain freeze'? What's that?"
Before Yukima Azuma could explain, she quickly took another big bite of the shaved ice.
The next mont, she clutched her head, groaning as a sharp chill shot through her brain.
Watching this scene, Yukima Azuma could only smile helplessly.
In Another Corner
"Oba-sama, do you want to play beach volleyball?"
(ง ◉ _ ◉)ง
Shijo Maki issued a solo kill challenge to Shinomiya Kaguya.
"Sure, I'm free anyway."
( ◡̀_◡́)ᕤ
Shinomiya Kaguya accepted the challenge with a terrifying smile.
And so, the two grabbed a volleyball and headed to the court.
Shijo Maki lightly tossed the ball into the air before launching a powerful spike.
The ball turned into a blur, shooting past the net to the other side.
Shinomiya Kaguya moved in a flash, positioning herself at the perfect spot and using both hands to set the ball.
Then, she counterattacked with an equally forceful spike.
Their fierce battle quickly drew the attention of the Shuchiin students.
Shijo Maki and Shinomiya Kaguya gradually beca more serious.
Even though they were both girls—
They were by no ans fragile Ojou-sama types.
In fact, quite the opposite.
Since childhood, they had undergone rigorous training and frequently participated in sports competitions.
Shinomiya Kaguya could draw a 22.5kg bow with ease.
As the captain of Shuchiin's Kyudo Club—
She held a fourth-dan ranking in Karate, a first-dan in Aikido, a second-dan in Judo, and was also proficient in naginata along with many other martial arts.
At this mont, her movents resembled those of a panther.
A perfect blend of strength and graceful agility was on full display.
And Shijo Maki—who shared many similarities with Shinomiya Kaguya—was by no ans inferior in terms of physical ability.
Their match played out at an astonishing pace.
( ◞•̀д•́)◞◟(•̀д•́◟ )
The ball was almost invisible, with only its shadow flickering across the court.
And each powerful hit sliced through the air with a sharp whooshing sound.
Shinomiya Kaguya executed another full-power spike, aiming for the farthest corner of the opposing side.
Shijo Maki reacted imdiately, dashing toward it.
But with her stamina drained, she was just a fraction of a second too slow.
In the end, the ball landed in the sand.
Shinomiya Kaguya won, and a smile unconsciously ford on her lips.
Truthfully, she wasn't the type to feel ashad of losing.
On the contrary, most of the ti, she only used about 60% of her true strength—
To avoid standing out too much and alienating others.
But today, she felt like she couldn't afford to lose.
As for Shijo Maki, she clenched her teeth in frustration over her defeat.
She should have been able to return that ball.
Two days of inadequate rest had drained her stamina faster than usual.
She picked up the ball and turned around.
At that mont, she caught sight of the faint smile at the corner of Shinomiya Kaguya's lips.
(¬ᴗ¬)
Her unwillingness to accept defeat only deepened.
"Co over and eat so grilled at!"
Yukima Azuma's voice pulled her back to reality.
Shijo Maki turned around.
And saw—
At so point, Yukima Azuma had set up a barbecue grill on the beach.
Thin wisps of smoke had already begun rising into the air.
Half of her frustration and disappointnt instantly faded.
She quickly walked over to Yukima Azuma.
Her eyes sparkled with excitent, though she still put on a haughty front:
"Are you sure it's cooked properly? Don't give food poisoning."
( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡)
Right beside them
Fujiwara Chika clutched her plate, eyes brimming with anticipation as she stared at Yukima Azuma's cooking skills. She quickly spoke up:
"Don't worry! Yukima-san's cooking skills are top-tier!"
ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧
Shinomiya Kaguya also turned to look.
The smile on her lips faded.
A strange feeling crept over her—
As if she had won the match, yet lost sothing far greater.
She even began questioning herself—
Why had she suddenly beco so competitive just now?
"Shinomiya President, what are you thinking about?"
Suou Yuki appeared beside her, asking softly.
"It's just... I feel like I was acting a little strange."
Shinomiya Kaguya waved a hand dismissively.
"Could it be... you're in love?"
"Suou-san, don't joke around."
"I'm serious~ When you fall in love, no matter how rational you are, your mind will start acting up sotis."
Suou Yuki winked at her with a knowing look.
Hearing this, Shinomiya Kaguya instinctively furrowed her brows.
Love...?
Just then—
"Kaguya, Yuki, stop spacing out and co eat so at."
Yukima Azuma's voice called out.
The frown on Shinomiya Kaguya's face eased.
And the corners of her lips curved into a smile once more.
Yukima Azuma sliced the grilled steak into five equal portions.
He distributed them fairly, placing a piece on each girl's plate.
Without hesitation, Suou Yuki and Fujiwara Chika took a bite.
"This is amazing! As expected, Azuma-kun's cooking is unbeatable!"
◟( ˃̶͈◡ ˂̶͈ )◞
"Spot on! This is seriously too good!"
(っ˘ڡ˘ς)
They exclaid in unison, their praises utterly sincere.
"Is it really that good?"
Shijo Maki looked doubtful.
Sure, it looked delicious...
But she had eaten countless gourt dishes before.
Could a steak grilled on the beach really be worthy of such praise?
Or was it just because he was the one who made it?
She shot a glance at Yukima Azuma, still skeptical.
Picking up her fork, Shijo Maki speared a piece of at and took a bite.
The rich aroma of grilled steak imdiately exploded on her taste buds.
Juicy flavors burst across her tongue with every chew.
She swallowed the first bite hurriedly—then stuffed the rest into her small mouth without hesitation.
"It really is this good..."
(๑ᵔ⤙ᵔ๑)
She mumbled between bites.
Shinomiya Kaguya also started eating.
Ever since she had first tasted Yukima Azuma's cooking—
She had never quite gotten over it.
She wasn't the type to chase after indulgences,
But if she could keep Yukima Azuma by her side...
If only once in a while, just once in a while, she could eat his cooking—
Just thinking about it made life feel so much more enjoyable.
"Hey, are you interested in working for the Shijo family? I can give you a share in the company—just make a bento every day."
Shinomiya Kaguya: ∘ ∘ ∘ ( °ヮ° ) ??
She stiffly turned her head.
She looked at Shijo Maki, who had just made the offer.
This idiot!
Who recruits talent like this!?
At the sa ti, a deep sense of unease welled up inside her.
Would Yukima Azuma actually agree to this?
What if... such a direct offer was exactly what he wanted?
Carrying an overwhelming sense of anxiety, Shinomiya Kaguya turned to look at Yukima Azuma.
Fortunately, the worst-case scenario did not happen.
"Don't go treating your classmates like chefs for hire!"
Yukima Azuma said as he casually flicked Shijo Maki on the forehead.
Shijo Maki clutched her forehead, pouting in frustration.
What the heck!
She had been completely serious about her offer!
If it weren't for the fact that the person she invited was him—
No matter how skilled they were, she would never have made such a proposal!
And so, the sulking tsundere grew even sulkier.
૮₍ ˶>⤙
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