Fourth day, morning. Lucas walks towards his classroom, hoping to avoid encountering any of the characters he saw the day before. A night of restless thoughts left him more tired than usual, reflecting on how he would handle it if any of the characters tried to talk to him.
— For now, I'll try to go through my day normally... — thought the young man.
However, his hopes for a peaceful day vanished during the break when he saw Alexandre at the classroom door.
— ...What do you want? Haven't we finished with the mystery? — said Lucas as soon as he left the room.
— Lucas, I knew you would help us! — said Alexandre, with his standard smile. — Why don't we grab a snack together?
— Nope. — replied Lucas, walking past him.
— Come on, man, don't be like that.
Being followed by Alexandre, Lucas went to the snack lady and tried to beg a bit, but it was unsuccessful. Seeing that he wouldn't get much again, the young man decided to buy something at the cafeteria.
— Let's see... To be considered a cheese snack, it just needs to have cheese, right? — pondered Lucas, undecided if he should buy a burger with cheese to make sure or if he would buy a cheese bread. — ...I'll go with the burger since I need to test this soon.
Even if it had no effect, it should still be a good choice, as many students also bought it. Besides, Lucas could save the snack he got from the lady for dinner.
— ...This is delicious. — murmured the young man, surprised by the taste. — It really has an effect on any snack that has cheese...
With just one bite, Lucas was captivated by an incredibly delicious flavor explosion that invaded his mouth. The taste was simply divine, dragging him into a moment of gustatory ecstasy. It was as satisfying as the previous experience during the race.
While savoring the richness and depth of the cheese flavor mixed with the juiciness of the meat, Alexandre became curious.
— Hey, can I have a bite? — he asked, with evident interest.
— No! I barely have money to buy a snack. — replied Lucas, stepping back.
— I'll give you a piece of my snack.
Looking at Alexandre's hand, there was a ham and cheese snack that he bought right after Lucas.
— ...Alright, just one bite. — said Lucas, placing the burger in front of Alexandre. — It's been a while since I had a ham and cheese snack too... — he thought briefly.
— Thanks... Hm? What is this!? Since when is this snack so good!? — exclaimed Alexandre, surprised to the point that his usual smile disappeared completely.
Seeing Alexandre's reaction to the snack, Lucas was also surprised. He looked at his own snack and then thought about his ability.
— It can't be... Was I fooled by the system again!? — thought the young man.
Before Lucas realized it, Alexandre had devoured his burger in seconds, as if he were a hungry beast that hadn't eaten for days. Seeing that there was only a paper in his hand, which he used to hold the burger, Lucas looked at the person in front of him.
— ...Sorry, I couldn't control myself. — said Alexandre, a bit embarrassed. — Here, you can have mine.
— Do you think I want yours!? Pay me for a new one now!
— Alright... Here's the money for the snack.
Seeing the money in Alexandre's hand, Lucas took it and got in line to buy a new one. He decided not to bite Alexandre's snack, as it would be strange if his snack suddenly started to taste much better.
— But still... System, show me the description of the Cheese snack is good ability. — thought while waiting his turn.
[Cheese snack is good]: [Ability that makes all cheese snacks consumed by the owner taste delicious]
— So, this is considered consumed from just a single bite... Surely, I consumed a part of it, but for that to make the whole snack taste delicious...
It was something that Lucas had not expected at all, but this could also be an advantage for him. If he uses this, maybe he can find an easy way to make money.
— But I need people to buy...
The young man's turn came quickly, and he bought two cheese breads this time, which were a bit cheaper than the burger he bought earlier.
— Alright, if I bite a small piece... There, I think no one will notice.
Eating only a small sliver of the cheese bread, Lucas looked at the two cheese breads and thought about how he should try to sell them.
— You got cheese bread now? I thought you were going to buy another burger. — commented Alexandre, watching the two cheese breads in Lucas's hands.
— Yes... By the way, I tried to add something special to them, just like I put in the burger. — said Lucas. — Want to buy them? I'll sell them to you for twice the cafeteria price.
— ...Isn't that too expensive? And they don't seem to have anything special, besides you just bought them...
— Why don't you take a bite of one? If you eat the whole thing, you'll have to pay double. — said Lucas, with a mischievous smile.
— Just out of curiosity, you used something special in the previous burger, didn't you? That's why it tasted amazing, right?
— Who knows? You'll have to taste and see.
Alexandre picked up the cheese bread with both hands and slowly brought it to his mouth, intending to take just a small bite.
— Hm... This taste! What are you using to make this flavor!? — asked Alexandre, amazed again by the taste.
Before he realized it, the cheese bread in his hand had disappeared. Once again, Alexandre couldn't resist and devoured the entire snack.
— Well, where's the money?
— Darn it, there goes all the money I had for today... — lamented Alexandre, handing over the money.
With the successful sale, Lucas looked at his other cheese bread and hesitated about whether to eat it or not, considering that he had already secured some money.
— Hey, you two, what are you doing here? — said a female voice behind Lucas.
Looking in the direction of the voice, he saw a young girl with amber eyes wearing a serene expression. Lucas recognized her as the girl who could detect his lies.
— Oh, Verônica, you... — tried to speak Alexandre, but was interrupted.
— Clearly, we're in the cafeteria to analyze the beautiful girls who come in. — said Lucas without hesitation. — And this guy wanted to show me the beauties in the school.
— Huh? Me? What are you talking about? — asked Alexandre, confused.
— That's clearly a lie... — replied the girl.
— To me, you're a lie, so why worry about lies? — retorted Lucas, before showing the cheese bread to the girl. — Want a cheese bread? It only costs double the cafeteria price.
— Just what are you... Huh? What? — hearing Lucas's words, the girl became increasingly confused. — A lie? Does he consider me a lie? What does that mean? And he's not even lying... And why is he selling me cheese bread for twice the price? — she wondered, clearly full of doubts.
— ...You should try one, even if it's expensive; it has an amazing taste. — said Alexandre, helping Lucas sell the snack.
— Alright, I'll get one... Hm!? What is this taste!? How have I never tasted something like this before!? — said the girl, astonished by the flavor.
Just like Alexandre, the cheese bread in the girl's hand disappeared in an instant, leaving her only with the paper she used to hold it.
— Pay up. — said Lucas, with his hand open in front of the girl.
— Fine, but... Don't you have one more? If I buy two, can't you give me a discount? — asked Verônica, trying to negotiate.
— That's it for today, we can negotiate tomorrow.
— Come on, give me a discount... Time to go to class.
While the girl spoke, the school bell rang, indicating the start of classes. They could talk more during lunchtime or in the afternoon break, but Lucas didn't want to get too close, so he decided to isolate himself at times like these. In the end, the young man ended up eating the snacks he got from the lady, as he could buy a snack later.
— This is becoming even more complicated... But at least, I got some money.
Looking at the amount in his hands, Lucas began to consider his next steps.
— I'll be able to buy a new uniform in the future, but how will I buy the rest? — thought the young man, having just finished lunch and returned the plate.
School lunches were simple but enough to satisfy his hunger. After eating, Lucas sat in a corner of the gymnasium, watching some students play sports to pass the time.
— I'm getting so tired...
After satisfying his hunger and watching the students for a while, the young man lay down on the bleachers, almost falling asleep. The gentle breeze that blew, his full stomach, the relief of knowing he could earn money, and the fatigue enveloping Lucas made him fall asleep without realizing it. This was the most peaceful sleep he had had since being transported to another world.
Lucas slept soundly on the bleachers, oblivious to the sounds and activities around him. It seemed like his mind had finally found a temporary refuge, even lying in an uncomfortable position.
However, his nap was abruptly interrupted when the bell rang, announcing the end of the break and the return to classes. With a sigh of reluctance, Lucas reluctantly got up and headed back to the classroom.
— ...Haa... I just want a good rest. — grumbled Lucas as he returned to the normal school day.
In this way, another day passed with the young man living inside the school, unable to leave.
— You're really here. — said a little girl, seeing Lucas lying on the bleachers after almost all the students had already left the school.
— ...This flea really stuck to me. — murmured Lucas to himself with a hint of dismay.
[To be continued...]
??? — Once again, an ability that required a different interpretation.
S — Will this continue?
??? — Depending on the System, it would be strange if it didn't happen.
S — And what do we do now? It's almost the fifth day, and there are still no signs of ending this world.
??? — About that... He doesn't-
[Spoiler Alert]
??? — Well, just wait.