Chapter 9Chef Liu’s cooking was as incredible as ever.

  After all, he had earned his skills—starting from the bottom of the kitchen, working his way up with decades of experience. Even an average cook, with enough time and practice, could refine their craft into something exceptional.

  And today, he was clearly in a great mood. His wrinkled face was slightly flushed, evidence that he had already enjoyed a bit of baijiu before Jin and the others arrived.

  The table was filled with dishes—four cold ptes, four hot ptes, and in the center, a beautifully pted squirrel fish.

  Jin couldn't exactly admit that he had hired a maid, so he told Master Liu that his homeroom teacher had been worried about him living alone and had come over to help clean up.

  Master Liu beamed at this, touched that there were such kindhearted Japanese people. Since he was already in high spirits, and since he loved company during meals, he naturally welcomed the teacher without hesitation.

  For an old man like him, cooking a few extra dishes wasn’t a big deal. It wasn’t about the effort, the time, or even the money. What mattered most to him was having people to talk to—to sit around the table, enjoy a lively meal, and share stories.

  That was the traditional Chinese way.

  Unfortunately, after moving to Japan with his children, that kind of family atmosphere had gradually faded. His own family rarely sat down for meals together anymore. In fact, he hadn't seen his children in months.

  But Jin—living next door—was like having a grandson.

  And that was enough for him.

  "Wow… this is… amazing…"

  Kawakami’s voice was trembling.

  Her eyes were glistening.

  People always joked about food being so good it made you cry—but Jin never thought he’d actually witness it.

  "Are all of these… Chinese dishes?" she asked between bites, her voice full of disbelief.

  Given Jin’s obvious background, and the fact that Master Liu spoke in a nguage she didn’t understand, she put the pieces together quickly.

  Jin nodded.

  Kawakami let out a deep sigh. "It’s completely different from what I’ve eaten before…"

  Of course it was.

  Most so-called Chinese restaurants in Japan were barely authentic. They catered to local tastes, stripping away the boldness of real Chinese fvors.

  The kind of food that made actual Chinese people think:

  "Either I’m a fool, or the restaurant owner is. And I know I’m not the fool."

  And, just like American fast food or Japanese cuisine in China, real Chinese food in Japan was expensive.

  Watching Jin and Master Liu chatting and ughing in Mandarin, Kawakami realized something.

  He wasn’t just some foreign name on a student roster.

  He was just… a kid.

  An ordinary student.

  She had to admit—at first, she found dealing with Jin annoying. A foreign transfer student meant paperwork, questions from school leadership, and extra responsibilities she didn’t ask for.

  But today, for the first time, she actually saw him.

  He ate.

  He ughed.

  He needed someone to help clean up his apartment.

  He was just a normal high schooler.

  Something about that made her heart ache.

  Because…

  Somewhere, deep in her memory, there was another student—another lost kid—who looked just like him.

  But she couldn’t let herself get too soft.

  There was still one more thing bothering her.

  If Jin wasn’t calling her as a maid anymore…

  That meant no more easy 5,000 yen per session.

  For a high school student working odd jobs, that money wasn’t insignificant. But it wasn’t like the entire fee went into her pocket—the maid service took its cut, and she still had to buy midnight snacks after her shift…

  (If I could work for Jin instead… maybe I could come over for a meal once in a while? That would at least save me money on te-night food…)

  Tempted by both deliciousness and financial practicality, Kawakami found herself hesitating.

  She didn’t want to be overly reliant on a student.

  But she did want to help him somehow.

  And then—

  It hit her.

  "Hey, Jin. Do you need tutoring?"

  The words slipped out before she could stop herself.

  Since Master Liu didn’t understand Japanese, she didn’t have to worry about him overhearing.

  Jin blinked. "Huh?"

  "Make-up lessons," she crified. "You’ve been on leave for a year—how are you pnning to study?"

  She crossed her arms. "Look, I told you before that you shouldn’t be calling maid services, but if you’re hiring a tutor, that’s different."

  Jin hesitated.

  To be honest, he had no intention of taking entrance exams.

  His stepfather had forced him into Shujin Academy in the first pce. He never wanted to go. So, the thought of suddenly returning to studies after all this time…

  He had no answer.

  Master Liu, however, did.

  "Jin!" Liu’s voice boomed. "What is your teacher saying?"

  Jin sighed. "She’s asking if I want tutoring."

  Master Liu immediately smmed his chopsticks down.

  "Then GO!"

  Jin nearly jumped.

  "You must study! You don’t know how much suffering you’ll face in this world if you don’t have an education!" Liu turned to Kawakami, csping her hands in both of his.

  Even though they couldn’t speak the same nguage, his gratitude was unmistakable.

  Jin transted his words for her.

  Kawakami nodded. "Then, call me through the shop next time. Same deal—5,000 yen per session. I’ll prepare handouts for you."

  Jin still wasn’t sure about this.

  He didn’t need to go to college in Japan.

  But…

  With both Master Liu and Kawakami looking at him expectantly, he felt like saying no would just make him an asshole.

  So, he reluctantly nodded.

  And that was that.

  The serious atmosphere faded, and the rest of the night was spent eating, ughing, and enjoying the warmth of a shared meal.

  After saying goodbye to Kawakami, Jin suddenly remembered something.

  He hurried back inside, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

  "Uh… Master Liu," he mumbled, "can I ask you a favor?"

  Liu raised a brow. "What is it?"

  Jin scratched his cheek. "Could you… make an extra boxed lunch tomorrow?"

  Liu grinned. "Of course! What’s the occasion?"

  Jin hesitated.

  He wanted to test something.

  But that would have to wait until tomorrow.

  Today’s mission was simple:

  Find Ryuji Sakamoto.

  Since Jin had once been a student at Shujin Academy, sneaking in wasn’t a problem. As long as he threw on his uniform, he could blend in easily.

  But timing was everything.

  Morning was out of the question.

  Ever since his fallout with Kamoshida, Ryuji had completely given up on arriving at school early. Seeing him in the morning was rare.

  That left two options:

  Lunch break.

  Or after school.

  Unfortunately, with the recent rise in mysterious mental shutdown incidents, the school was extra cautious with international students, making sure csses ended early in the afternoon.

  That meant if Jin worked his part-time job, he’d miss his chance entirely.

  (So my best bet is lunch break or right after css.)

  But waiting was torture.

  Jin had to do something—anything—to keep his mind occupied.

  Pedaling through the crisp morning air, letting the wind rush past him, sweat clinging to his skin—it was oddly refreshing.

  After finishing his newspaper route, he headed to Lebnc for a quick curry breakfast, then made his way toward the school.

  Of course, he wasn’t actually attending css.

  Instead, he sneaked up to the rooftop.

  Now, forget the spacious, scenic rooftops of anime—the ones where school idols practiced, and dramatic confessions took pce.

  The rooftop of Shujin Academy was tiny.

  Cramped.

  Filled with random junk—discarded desks, broken chairs, and even a few potted pnts someone had left behind.

  No one came up here.

  Which made it the perfect pce for a nap.

  Arm?

  Unnecessary.

  Kasumi never slept, so he’d just have her wake him up.

  And just like that—he was out.

  By the time lunch break rolled around, Jin stretched, dusted himself off, and made his way downstairs.

  Now came the tricky part: finding Ryuji in the chaos of the lunch rush.

  Blond hair stood out in a crowd of bck-haired students, so spotting him should’ve been easy.

  The convenience store seemed like a good pce to start.

  It was packed with students who hadn’t brought their own lunches, crowding around shelves, grabbing snacks and drinks.

  Jin scanned the store.

  Nothing.

  (This school is huge… How am I supposed to find one person in all this?)

  Only now did he realize the fw in his perfect pn.

  "Kasumi," he muttered, "go check his cssroom for me. See if he’s there."

  "Oh? Ordering me around again? My life is so hard, boohoo~"

  Kasumi dramatically covered her face with her hands, pretending to sob—so fake it was almost impressive.

  Jin rolled his eyes. "I’ll make it up to you ter."

  Unfortunately, a few nearby students noticed him.

  "Look, that guy’s talking to himself…"

  "Man, that’s sad. He must not have any friends…"

  "I thought ‘air friends’ only existed in light novels."

  Jin immediately pulled up his colr, trying to disappear.

  I hate this pce.

  While Kasumi went to check the cssroom, Jin searched all the usual student hangouts.

  But no matter where he looked—Ryuji was nowhere to be found.

  This was… embarrassing.

  Jin had mapped out everything—how to corner him, how to bait him into a conversation, how to extract information.

  But he’d completely overlooked the most basic problem.

  What if he just couldn’t find the guy?

  Sure enough, Kasumi returned with bad news.

  "Nope. Not in css either."

  By now, lunch break was almost over.

  With nothing else to do, Jin grabbed a loaf of bread from the cafeteria and retreated to the rooftop.

  At least there was only one css in the afternoon.

  Killing time wasn’t that difficult.

  This time, he had Kasumi check Ryuji’s cssroom before css ended so she could tail him immediately after school.

  A perfectly sound strategy.

  A fwless pn.

  But it still didn’t work.

  Not because of any mistake on Jin’s part.

  Not because of bad luck.

  But because today was Shujin Academy’s annual Ball Game Tournament.

  Which meant:

  No afternoon csses.

  Instead, every single student had to gather in the gym.

  And Jin?

  Jin had no way to blend in.

  The school uniform was bck.

  The sports uniform was red.

  He would stick out like a sore thumb.

  Fantastic.

  With no other choice, he stayed put, alone on the rooftop, waiting for Kasumi’s intel.

  Time dragged on.

  Jin had no idea how long he’d been waiting, but it was long enough that he was starting to lose patience.

  And then—

  BAM!

  The rooftop door smmed open.

  "What?! Those guys are staying silent?! Kamoshida must have gotten to them!"

  Jin froze, instinctively ducking behind a pile of desks, peering through the gaps.

  Two figures had stepped onto the rooftop.

  Ryuji Sakamoto.

  And beside him—

  Amamiya Ren?!

  "Mm."

  Ren nodded calmly.

  "Damn it! If we can’t get any proof in real life, then our only hope is that ‘castle’!"

  Jin’s heart skipped.

  The castle.

  They know about it.

  Before he could process that information, another voice chimed in—sharp and almost… cartoonishly high-pitched.

  "Even though he’s given up on himself, he’s surprisingly quick-witted. Too bad he’s just a thug."

  Jin recognized that voice immediately.

  The talking cat.

  The one that had been with Ren before.

  "Haah?! Who the hell are you calling a thug?! Stupid cat, acting all high and mighty—!"

  "I am NOT a cat!" the creature hissed. "I’ve told you so many times—this form is just a disguise!"

  Jin narrowed his eyes.

  So Ryuji can hear it too.

  But Takemi couldn’t.

  That meant—whatever ability Jin had, Ryuji had it too.

  "Anyway!" Ryuji snapped. "That’s not the point! The point is—if we can’t do anything about Kamoshida here, then taking on his ‘Pace’ is the only way!"

  Jin’s ears pricked up.

  They were getting to the important part.

  Whatever a Pace was—

  This was the key.

  And Jin wasn’t about to miss a word of it.