Hoshimi opened the bento box, and a wave of steam surged out, followed by an incredibly rich aroma that transported everyone to a culinary paradise.
The closest to the bento box, Yukinoshita, was the first to be overwhelmed by the steam and aroma.
As the steam hit her face, Yukinoshita couldn't help but salivate, and a thin layer of sweat began to form on the tip of her nose.
Her nostrils flared slightly with heat, and her body temperature rose involuntarily.
It was spicy.
The spiciness in the steam triggered a corresponding reaction in her body.
Then, the intense aroma filled her nostrils, neutralizing some of the spiciness but also awakening her appetite, causing more saliva to be produced in her mouth.
Her stomach, too, responded with a very real sense of emptiness, urging her to eat.
She licked her lips, suppressing her desire to eat, and looked at the delicious food presented in the bento box.
"Hmm?"
Contrary to the rich aroma, it was just a very plain-looking bowl of ramen.
In the clear broth lay a modest amount of noodles, with only a few scallions floating on top and nothing else.
It was so plain it didn't seem capable of producing such a strong aroma.
"So fragrant, what is it?"
"The aroma is coming from Hoshimi-kun's bento. It must be something he brought."
"I smell a rich meaty scent, is it some kind of hearty dish?"
Meanwhile, the aroma from the bento attracted the attention of the girls around them.
They craned their necks openly, peering at the bento Hoshimi had brought.
Seeing this, Hoshimi's smile took on a somewhat sinister edge. He raised his voice slightly, making sure the surrounding girls could hear him.
"Yukino, you see, I met all your requirements."
"First, it's simple. The clear broth without any extra ingredients fits this point perfectly."
"Second, it's accessible. Ramen is a universally loved dish that needs no explanation."
"Then there's the flavor and spiciness, both of which are in the broth."
"This broth was made using a Sichuan recipe, simmering chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and regular peppercorns in water for an hour, then adding pork and chicken bones and simmering for another two hours. Finally, after repeated straining and filtering, I spent the entire night making this clear broth."
"Yukino, try it and see if you like it."
Hoshimi handed the chopsticks to Yukinoshita with hopeful eyes.
Yukinoshita's eye twitched. She took back what she said about Hoshimi being a societal waste.
Judging by Hoshimi's seamless acting, he could easily become a successful con artist at any time.
Spent an entire night making broth? What a joke!
Then who was it tormenting her in her dreams last night?!
She was certain that this deceptively simple yet extraordinary ramen was made by a hired chef.
How could Hoshimi shamelessly take credit for someone else's work and boast about it? Does this guy have no sense of shame? Doesn't he know what "embarrassment" means?
And those brainless girls in class, could they stop praising Hoshimi?!
Saying things like "This is true love!" "Hoshimi-kun is so devoted!" "Yukinoshita-san is so lucky!" and so on. Can they stop?!
I've heard it so much my ears are getting calluses!
Can't you guys recognize Hoshimi's true malicious nature? Open your eyes and see it clearly!
"Yukino, what's wrong? Don't you like it?" The light in Hoshimi's eyes dimmed, and his hand holding the chopsticks slowly dropped.
"Yukinoshita-san has high standards... poor Hoshimi-kun..."
"Indeed, in this situation, Yukinoshita-san seems a bit unkind. Whether she likes it or not, she should at least try it first."
"Hoshimi-kun worked all night on this... He's been so sleepy today, Yukinoshita-san should be a bit more considerate..."
Listening to the comments from the girls around her, Yukinoshita almost ground her teeth to pieces.
Looking at the despondent yet forced smile on Hoshimi's face, she wanted to slap the ramen onto his face.
"Whoosh—"
Yukinoshita took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
She still needed to use the momentum to get her revenge. Falling out with Hoshimi now would be disadvantageous for her.
"Slap—"
Yukinoshita glared at Hoshimi and then snatched the chopsticks from his hand.
Without hesitation, she picked up some ramen and tasted it.
The moment the ramen touched her mouth, the flavors of spice, aroma, and freshness completely overwhelmed her, sending her to a culinary heaven, making it almost impossible to stop eating.
Even though the spiciness made her tongue tingle, her body sweat, and her scalp numb, she couldn't stop.
Before long, Yukinoshita had finished the entire bowl of ramen. She set down the chopsticks and leaned against the chair, panting heavily.
So spicy! It felt like her entire body was soaking in a pot of extremely spicy hot pot.
Her tongue was numb from the spiciness, and her esophagus to her stomach was all hot.
The heat from the spiciness spread from inside out, and she was very aware of the sweat she was producing.
Especially on the sides of her nose, her forehead, and her temples, it was particularly severe. Her bangs and sideburns were already stuck to her forehead and temples from the sweat.
"Yukino, you didn't have to eat so quickly. Look, your face is all sweaty, let me wipe it for you."
Seeing Hoshimi stand up to wipe the sweat off her face, Yukinoshita didn't want to move.
She was too overwhelmed by the spiciness. She seriously doubted what kind of chili the chef used to make the broth, why it was so spicy?
Could it be ghost peppers?
No, it wasn't ghost peppers, ghost peppers would be even spicier than this.
Earlier, Hoshimi mentioned Sichuan broth? Then it must be small chili peppers?
Yes, it must be small chili peppers.
"Alright."
As Yukinoshita's thoughts raced, Hoshimi had already wiped the sweat off her delicate face.
He put away the handkerchief, sat back in his chair, and asked with a smile, "Yukino, would you like some soup?"
"..." Yukinoshita gave Hoshimi a sidelong glance, her ice-blue eyes full of resentment.
Right now, she just wanted to turn Hoshimi into soup! Soup with small chili peppers!
Suddenly, Yukinoshita seemed to remember something, and she stared at Hoshimi and said, "Hoshimi, I also prepared a bento for you..."
"Really?" Hoshimi interrupted Yukinoshita with a look of surprise.
He took out another thermal bento box from his drawer and explained, "Yukino, you gave me an assignment yesterday, so I thought you wouldn't prepare a bento for me today, so I prepared one myself."
Hoshimi opened the bento box, "Yukino, you see, I prepared the same ramen for myself."
"..." Yukinoshita fell silent.
If Hoshimi really prepared the same bento for himself, she wouldn't mind letting him eat her bento.
After all, the spiciness was genuinely over the top...
But would their bentos really be the same?
She didn't believe Hoshimi would drag himself into the same situation.
"..."
Yukinoshita glanced at Hoshimi and silently sat up straight, picking up her chopsticks to verify it herself.
Ignoring Hoshimi's gaze and the murmurs of the girls in class, she directly picked up a small strand of ramen from Hoshimi's bento and fed it into her mouth.
After confirming it was indeed the same, Yukinoshita set down the chopsticks without saying another word.
"Heh~" Hoshimi chuckled and took out a box of sweet milk.
He ate the extremely spicy ramen while using the sweet milk to relieve the spiciness.
Watching Hoshimi eat gracefully, Yukinoshita finally understood why she couldn't outplay Hoshimi.
This guy was ruthless, willing to use himself as bait to lure others into a trap, even dragging them down with him.
Yukinoshita pondered, maybe she should learn from Hoshimi.
Learning from one's enemy to defeat them is not shameful.
Oh right, milk can relieve spiciness?
Remembering something, Yukinoshita suddenly snatched the sweet milk from Hoshimi's hand and decisively drank it all in one go.
"Whoosh—"
After drinking, Yukinoshita let out a long breath and leaned lazily against the chair, deep in thought.
Much better...
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