Among the three great academies of Kivotos, the only campus I had never seen late at night was Gehenna's.
Contrary to my expectations, although it was noisier than Millennium or Trinity during the day, once night fell, it was just as quiet, almost desolate.
And in that stillness, when looking out from the central courtyard, the headquarters building of the Prefect Team remained brightly lit, especially eye-catching.
No doubt Hina was still at her post, handling endless documents that needed her attention.
A pang of sympathy rose in my chest. I wanted nothing more than to rush over and offer whatever small help I could, if she couldn't live like an ordinary student, at least she could rest a little earlier.
But I couldn't. At least, not tonight.
In fact, I had to avoid Hina as much as possible, keeping my presence hidden, because of what I was about to do next.
With complicated feelings, I turned away from the Prefect Team's glow and walked in the opposite direction into darkness beyond the reach of the streetlights.
Moments later, I arrived at Gehenna's Student Cafeteria, where Fuuka and Juri usually worked.
At this hour, however, considering they had to wake early to prepare four thousand breakfasts, they had long since returned to their dorms.
Yet when I gently pushed on the door, which should have been tightly locked, it creaked open immediately.
Given Fuuka's meticulousness, she would never forget something like this, no matter how busy she was.
And it wasn't as though I had somehow unlocked "knock spell" authority from the card by conquering another student.
A closer look revealed the truth, the lock was twisted and deformed, a golden bullet casing embedded within it. It had clearly been destroyed by force.
Frowning slightly, I stepped inside.
Click.
The cafeteria lights blazed on like daylight.
"Hehe∼ Sensei, I've been waiting."
The silver-haired girl in a military uniform smiled brightly at me. "Without further ado, let's begin∼"
Seeing how impatient she looked, I instinctively stopped and even took half a step back. Alarm bells rang in my head!
Inviting me out at midnight to the place where Fuuka worked daily, already on the edge of Gehenna's campus and nearly deserted at night… was Haruna planning something thrilling?
I'd long known that Haruna admired my beauty. I also knew that, as president of the Gourmet Research Society, she was incredibly bold. So why had I come here alone without a shred of caution?
In the end, it was my noble character. I believed that if I owed someone a favor, I should repay it wholeheartedly.
My date with Haruna had been delayed far too long. Of course, that had much to do with Schale's heavy workload, and the Gourmet Research Society constantly being either in pursuit of cuisine or fleeing from local law enforcement afterward.
Still, although Haruna had only said on Momotalk that she wanted my help with culinary research, who would normally choose such a time and place?
Besides, from every angle, I was undeniably appetizing myself… perhaps there was a hidden meaning behind her words.
Knowing all that and still coming alone meant I had prepared myself to pay a heavy price for my principles.
With that thought, I wiped the corner of my mouth, steeled my gaze, closed the cafeteria doors behind me, and stepped forward.
"Good evening, Haruna. Before anything else, could you explain the situation?"
"Ah, pardon me. As you can see, although students are technically prohibited from entering the cafeteria at this hour, the water and electricity are still functioning."
She smiled lightly. "In other words, it's the perfect place to conduct gourmet research without anyone interfering!"
That was true enough.
My eyes narrowed. "Then why call me here?"
A sharp glint flashed in Haruna's eyes as she answered seriously, "Excellent question. If things get a little too noisy and the Prefect Team discovers us, there should at least be an adult to take responsibility, don't you think?"
W-Wait, wouldn't everyone be responsible for something like that?!
And did that mean she really was chasing thrills?
Just in case, I cautiously pressed further. "Wouldn't it be better to pick some other place that's harder to discover?"
"Hehe… On the contrary. Doing something not permitted by Kivotos in an unfamiliar but suitable place actually increases the risk of exposure. To pursue the ultimate path of gourmet perfection, this is the safest option∼"
After hearing that, I fell silent and let out a slow breath.
To think that before even putting Hifumi in a cow-print swimsuit, I'd have to face something like this…
But to repay Haruna, who had helped me time and again, even risking betrayal of others, I had no choice but to comply, no matter how reluctant I felt.
Still, at such a crucial moment, how I wished for some warm encouragement to give me the courage to endure what was to come...
"From the mountain of wild sustenance comes radiance and glory."
The card's muttering began again, as cryptic as ever.
Since it offered no comfort, I resolved myself. "Let's just do it!"
If it was for a student's wish, what was a small sacrifice?
The beautiful silver-haired girl smiled again. "Has your fighting spirit ignited, Sensei? Then let's begin! Tonight's research topic is.... Coq au Vin!"
"…What?"
After a short silence, I blinked in confusion.
"You don't know it?" Haruna asked in surprise. "Coq au Vin is a dish where chicken and vegetables are stewed together. It's not difficult, just simmer everything in a pot. However… if it were truly that simple, I wouldn't have chosen it as my research subject."
Realizing something was off, I quickly asked, "Wait... by 'vin,' you mean…?"
She nodded. "Yes. Wine. Alcohol. As the name suggests, the defining feature of Coq au Vin is replacing water with red wine."
"…And the thing that isn't permitted by Kivotos society is…"
"Alcohol is strictly forbidden to students in Kivotos. Even high-end restaurants that serve alcohol prohibit student entry. It's an inaccessible, forbidden ingredient."
That reminded me... Kirino had once mentioned that relationships between Sensei and students were legal and compliant in Kivotos.
There might be criticism, sure, but as long as more students supported me, even that worry would fade. Students would argue in my defense!
Now that I understood she genuinely only wanted to cook together, I frowned slightly.
"Are you saying someone hid red wine in this cafeteria?"
"Of course not. Rather, I devised a brilliant strategy…"
Haruna smiled confidently. "Ethanol and grape juice!"
"…What?"
"I thought carefully about how to recreate the taste of wine," she said excitedly. "Grapes plus alcohol should work in theory. I 'borrowed' grape juice from the Schoo Lunch Club, and I 'obtained' high-purity ethanol from the Medical Emergency Club. That way, we can make authentic Coq au Vin∼"
That wasn't authentic at all!
And did she just say she "obtained" it with a suspicious emphasis?!
Soon she was skillfully preparing ingredients. Though not on Fuuka's level, her techniques were competent.
Watching her smooth movements, I was struck by her flawless beauty from her sheer will and focus. A new thought emerged.
Perhaps she'd only wanted to personally cook a dish and share it with someone she liked.
From the looks of it, that was probably true. The talk about responsibility had likely just been an excuse.
Sneaking into the cafeteria was against the rules, sure, but I wasn't a Gehenna student, and the Prefect Team wouldn't press too hard.
As for poor Fuuka, even if she found out, she'd probably just forgive me quietly, and then spitefully fill my stomach with cooking far superior to Haruna's.
Still… was grape juice and ethanol really okay…?
Soon came the crucial step.
"Adding grape juice…" she poured it in, noticing my expression. "Don't worry. Theoretically, it's fine."
I laughed awkwardly, but my anxiety deepened.
"Next, the long-awaited alcohol."
She uncapped a bottle of clear liquid, then hesitated.
"How much should I add… I should consider the ratio…"
"Maybe aim for the alcohol content of red wine?" I suggested.
After thinking, she shook her head. "But the alcohol evaporates when boiled, according to the book. To be safe, perhaps I should add more?"
That sounded reasonable. "Why not try?"
Without hesitation, she poured, and poured.
"Being stingy with ingredients is taboo for a gourmet seeker…" she murmured.
By the time she stopped, only a thin layer remained in the bottle.
"Haruna… isn't that too much?"
"…Hmm. Perhaps. But it should be… fine?"
Then inspiration struck her. "Ah! If I increase the heat, the ethanol will evaporate faster!"
I considered it. That actually made sense. "Haruna, you're a genius!"
"Hehe∼ Though it's not my specialty, I've learned much from Fuuka. And when it comes to inspiration, I won't lose to anyone∼"
For some reason, that reminded me of Izumi, and that horrifying cup of chocolate-flavored sea cucumber juice I alone had avoided.
Inspiration? No one beat that gluttonous gray-haired girl in daring experimentation.
Meanwhile, Haruna turned the heat to maximum.
The very next instant—
BOOMMM!!!
The pot exploded.
Ingredients flew everywhere. Flames and black smoke erupted from the cookware.
Haruna's eyes widened, lips pressed tight, a blush rising to her cheeks.
At first I was shocked, but honestly, given the method, the result wasn't that surprising.
"Haruna, are you alright?"
"Y-Yes. I'm fine. But the Coq au Vin… the dish…"
She looked crestfallen.
Before she could recover—
Bzzzz! Bzzzz!
The cafeteria lights switched to flashing red. The fire suppression system activated, showering water from above. Outside, panicked Gehenna students could be heard shouting.
"A-Ah…" Haruna murmured. "We've been discovered…"
"Let's run!"
"B-But the dish—"
Seeing her hesitate, I resorted to another "delicacy" but before that could come to action.
In reality, I simply grabbed her hand.
That alone was enough to snap the surprisingly pure-hearted girl back to her senses.
Hand in hand, we fled the exploding cafeteria, just as passing students alerted the Prefect Team.