"Itadakimasu."
"Itadakimasu."
Byakuya and Touka pressed their palms together in the customary pre-meal greeting.
Though Touka couldn't eat human food, she could sit at the table and have a drink.
A bowl of rice sat in front of her as well—at least for appearances.
Touka had prepared three dishes in total.
First was curry—practically essential in Japanese cuisine—specifically beef and potato curry.
Then tonkatsu, plus a stir-fried vegetable dish.
"How does it taste?"
Byakuya had barely taken a few bites before Touka eagerly asked.
Since she couldn't taste it herself, she had no real confidence.
Her cooking had improved mainly through regularly exchanging dishes with Yoriko.
When her skills were still lacking, Yoriko hadn't thought much of it—figured she was just learning.
Over time, guided by Yoriko's feedback, Touka's cooking had steadily improved.
But she didn't know if it would satisfy Byakuya...
"It's delicious."
Byakuya gave his verdict. "Though for you to have gotten this good, Kosaka-san must have helped, right?"
"You remember Yoriko?"
Touka was slightly surprised. "That's right—I often exchange dishes with her. I improve based on her feedback, and my skills have gotten better over time."
"Exchange dishes... Do you force yourself to eat whatever Kosaka-san gives you?"
Byakuya asked.
"..."
Touka's expression froze slightly. "How do you know that?"
Just as Byakuya said, she always forced herself to eat whatever Yoriko prepared—even fighting not to throw it up—because she didn't want to waste Yoriko's thoughtfulness.
But she'd never told anyone about this, certainly not Yoriko. She didn't dare let Yoriko know she was a ghoul...
"Because the Touka I know would do exactly that."
Byakuya explained.
It sounded genuine, but the truth was rather different—as a transmigrator, he had the advantage of knowing the original story.
"Hmm~ So you understand me that well?"
Touka was somewhat surprised.
"More or less. We all see how hard you work every day, Touka."
Byakuya smiled.
"Getting praised like that makes me embarrassed."
Touka's face flushed slightly with bashfulness, though inwardly she was pleased.
...
After the meal, Byakuya sat in the living room to rest for a while.
He figured leaving right after eating at someone else's place wasn't quite right, so he wanted to help Touka with something...
"By the way Touka, your exams are coming up soon, right? Want me to help you review?"
Byakuya offered.
"Mm, they really are almost here."
Touka followed his lead. "If you don't mind, let's go to my room. My bag and study materials are all in there."
"Sure."
Byakuya thought nothing more of it.
He followed Touka into her room.
Entering her bedroom for the first time, Byakuya didn't let his eyes wander—though with his perception, he'd already taken in everything at a glance.
At that moment, Touka's heart raced with sudden nervousness.
Having a guy in my room like this... it's a bit much to get used to...
If it were just studying together, that would be fine. But Touka had other "studies" planned...
Her heart pounded, but her face remained composed.
The bedroom had a modest-sized desk where Touka usually studied.
It was fairly tidy now—she and Byakuya could simply sit down and review.
"How are things going? What level of university do you think you can get into?"
As they sat down, Byakuya asked.
"My only goal is Kamii University. It still feels pretty difficult, but at least it's not completely out of reach like before."
Touka spoke with determination.
She wanted to attend the same university as Byakuya, and Yoriko's goal was Kamii as well.
Compared to other schools, she had no interest whatsoever.
"Really? That's already great progress. Just stay calm for the final stretch and perform steadily—don't overthink anything else."
Byakuya said.
"Mm!"
Touka nodded.
Since math remained her weakest subject, Byakuya focused on reviewing that with her.
Though "weakest" was relative—her math scores already ranked in the class's top ten. Her other subjects were simply stronger. Without at least this level, she'd have virtually no chance at a top institution like Kamii University.
Given Touka's current state, she just needed to shore up her relatively weaker math and perform normally on the final exams and Kamii's entrance tests
...
Before they knew it, two or three hours had passed.
It was now 9 PM.
Byakuya felt it was time to wrap up. "It's already nine—let's stop here. Just digest what I've covered, and you'll be fine."
"Okay."
Touka's mind was still on studying, so she didn't react immediately and instinctively agreed.
But she caught herself almost instantly and stopped Byakuya just as he was about to leave.
"Wait!"
If she let Byakuya leave now, all her efforts would be for nothing.
Plus, she'd finally mustered the courage this time. If she didn't seize this opportunity, she doubted she could manage it again...
"What is it?"
Byakuya turned to ask.
"It's only nine—there's no rush to leave, is there?"
Touka closed the books on the desk and walked toward him.
"Nine is pretty late, you know. By the time you shower and everything, it'll be ten or eleven. With exams coming up, you shouldn't stay up late too often."
Byakuya said.
"That's not what I meant! I just... I just..."
Touka struggled with her embarrassment, but then steeled her resolve. "I want you to stay with me. Is that not okay?"
Her cheeks had turned rosy. She held Byakuya's gaze without looking away despite her shyness—as if declaring her determination.
...
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