The cafeteria was filled with murmurs and movement as students passed by one another carrying trays in their hands.
Isagi had come there with his soccer teammates, whom he met on the way out of class for lunch, and now they stood in front of the menu, analyzing the options.
“Oh, look at that.
They have something new.” An item labeled “new” caught Isagi’s attention: mapo tofu ramen, a simple dish of spicy mapo tofu served over ramen.
He wasn’t much of a fan of that.
“Mapo tofu ramen?
So it’s Chinese food on top of Chinese food…” Tada commented, laughing.
Unlike earlier, he was now wearing the standard Ichinan High School uniform.
“Tada-kun, technically, ramen isn’t Chinese food, right?” “Wait.
It isn’t?” “No.
The word ‘ramen’ itself is Japanese.” The one who answered was Renji Kuroda, another member of the team, one of the few who actually paid attention in class.
“Have you two already decided what you’re getting?” Isagi asked, letting out a sigh.
“Yes.” “Yes.” After exchanging brief nods, they entered the cafeteria.
They reserved a table with a handkerchief and some napkins before heading to the line.
After placing their orders, they returned carrying their trays.
That was when something caught Isagi’s attention.
“Hey, wait… isn’t that Kuze?” Renji said, slightly tilting his chin toward a table in the corner.
Sitting alone, with a relaxed posture, was Masachika Kuze.
His black hair, always messy as if he had just woken up, fell carelessly over his forehead.
His tie was loose, his collar slightly open—a sloppy look that somehow suited him.
“It’s rare to see him without his sister or the other two…” Tada commented, curious.
“Doesn’t he always hang out with that Hikaru guy and the other one who looks like you?” Renji added.
Isagi remained silent, simply watching as Kuze brought a spoonful of curry to his mouth, eating slowly, as if completely on his own pace.
As always, Tada couldn’t hold himself back.
“Yo!
Kuze!
Doing a lone wolf cosplay today?” he said, waving as he approached.
Kuze calmly raised his gaze, as if only then noticing their presence.
Upon recognizing the trio, he slightly arched an eyebrow.
“Ah… you guys.” “Alone?
It’s not every day you have lunch without your harem…” Renji teased with a smirk.
“Since when do I have a harem?
I’m just having lunch.
Those two were busy, and Yuki said she was eating with the student council today,” Kuze replied with a shrug.
Then he pointed with his spoon toward the empty seats.
“Sit if you want.” “No need to say it twice.” Tada was already pulling a chair before he even finished speaking.
Isagi sat across from Kuze, observing his tray.
Naturally, the new mapo tofu became the center of attention.
“Whoa… it’s even redder than in the picture.” “That looks really spicy.” “Not really.
It could be spicier…” Kuze replied indifferently, taking another spoonful.
“But it tastes good.” Tada and Renji watched with clear disbelief as he continued eating the mapo tofu completely calmly, as if the intensity meant nothing.
“Hmm… let me try some of your noodles.” “Ooh, me too.” “Go ahead.” The two grabbed some from his plate with their chopsticks.
The moment they put it in their mouths, however, their expressions completely changed.
“—Ack!
This is insanely spicy!” “It burns… it burns going down!” They rushed for their cups of water, drinking hastily as they tried to ease the burning.
Isagi smiled, amused by the scene, firmly deciding not to try it… Masachika simply watched them calmly.
“You can’t call something spicy if it doesn’t make your eyes water.” “That definition is kind of insane…” Renji muttered, still fanning his tongue.
“Spicy shouldn’t be a traumatic experience!” Tada added.
“For you, maybe.
True spiciness is the kind that tests your limits,” Masachika said, with a slightly philosophical tone as he resumed eating.
“It’s almost like mental training.” “There he goes, starting a food lecture…” Tada sighed.
Renji let out a short laugh.
“But speaking of training, this morning Isagi got hit in the face with a ball on the field.” “Oh, right!” Tada pointed excitedly at Isagi.
“It was brutal.
He fell backward like an anime character.” “That was a great shot from me, I admit…” Renji added proudly.
Masachika raised his eyebrows, looking at Isagi with mild interest.
“So the famous Ichinan striker is now training facial endurance?” “Don’t start, Kuze…” Isagi sighed.
Tada, energized, continued: “He was all focused and then suddenly—BAM!
Ball to the face.
It was perfect.” “At least he didn’t cry…” Renji said.
“Well, that can also be considered mental training,” Masachika commented calmly, as if it were serious.
“Don’t turn this into philosophy again…” Isagi muttered… Meanwhile, Renji picked up his water bottle and casually said: “This new mapo tofu is going to be a hit, huh?
Really strong, different…” Masachika paused for a moment, looking at him with slight disdain.
“‘New’?
That ramen has been on the menu since last week.” Silence fell over the table.
“…Huh?” Tada blinked.
“You only noticed today?” Masachika added, returning to his meal, looking directly at Tada.
“Not surprising coming from you…” “Hey!” Tada protested.
But he was naturally ignored.
“Isagi…” Masachika continued, looking straight at him.
“…at least you have an excuse.
Soccer takes up about 90% of your mental CPU, which is understandable.” Isagi scratched his head without denying it.
Indeed, his predecessor had been like that… “But you, Renji…” Masachika pointed his chopsticks as if making a formal accusation.
“You eat here every day.
Every single day.
And you still didn’t notice this in a week?
That’s reaching special skill level.” Renji stayed silent for a second before shrugging.
“Maybe I was more focused on surviving training… or maybe the food here is so standard that you don’t even notice when something changes.” “You can justify it all you want,” Masachika replied with a lazy smile.
“Even the cleaning staff knew about this new ramen before you.” Tada and Renji sighed at the same time, clearly defeated.
Isagi simply let out a light laugh, shaking his head.
He was about to say something when suddenly a soft murmur rose from the cafeteria entrance.
The group instinctively turned to look.
Three girls walked in together, immediately drawing attention simply by being there at the same time.
The atmosphere seemed to shift for a moment, as if their presence highlighted the rest of the room.
“Ah… it’s the student council…” someone murmured.
“I don’t see the president or the vice anywhere, but still…” another commented.
“It’s rare to see the three of them together like this.” The boys’ gazes were fixed on them, some barely hiding their interest, while the girls in the room reacted with a mix of admiration and curiosity.
“The Kujou sisters are really beautiful, huh?” Tada commented quietly, not taking his eyes off them.
Among the three, Alisa stood out immediately.
Her silver hair caught attention effortlessly, reflecting the cafeteria lights as she walked with an elegant posture, accompanied by the other two council members.
One of them was Maria Mikhailovna Kujou, a second-year student and the student council secretary.
Alisa’s older sister by one year, she was called “Masha” by those close to her.
Unlike her sister, Maria didn’t have such striking exotic features at first glance.
While Alisa had that almost milky, translucent skin, Maria was simply very fair, but still within a recognizable Japanese standard.
Her light brown, shoulder-length wavy hair fell softly, and her almond-shaped eyes, in a bright chocolate tone, conveyed a natural kindness.
Her face, with soft and almost childlike features, made her appearance closer to the average of Japanese students.
Standing beside Alisa—tall, slender, and with a more mature presence—it was sometimes even hard to tell who was older just by their overall appearance.
But a glance downward quickly removed any doubt.
Maria had a clearly more developed body.
In contrast to her sister, her silhouette was fuller, with natural curves that drew attention without exaggeration.
Her gentle posture, constant smile, and calm movements gave her an almost maternal aura—something unexpected for someone her age.
It wasn’t uncommon for some classmates to call her “Madonna” in admiration.
“Maria is so cute… I’d love to meet her.” “I heard she has a boyfriend, though…” Renji added casually.
“Yeah, I know!
Damn… who’s the lucky guy?!” Tada grumbled, instantly changing expression.
The reaction made Isagi raise an eyebrow.
“Wait… Renji?
‘Who’s the lucky guy’?
I thought you’d know that.” “I don’t know what you mean by ‘you’d know,’ but anyway… all I heard is that he’s some Russian guy.” “Hmm.” “Maybe it’s a long-distance relationship.
I heard Maria travels to Russia frequently.” Masachika just shrugged.
“Makes sense.” The Kujou sisters often went back and forth between Russia and Japan due to their father’s work.
Alisa had lived in Russia until she was five, before moving to Japan at the start of elementary school.
After that, she returned to Russia in fourth grade and came back again to Japan in her first year of high school, which was last year… “If they really are in a long-distance relationship, that means they’ve been dating for over a year… I don’t stand a chance…” Tada said, dejected.
“True… and apparently she’s turned down every guy who’s asked her out so far because of that boyfriend.” “Either way, Tada wouldn’t stand a chance…” Isagi added mercilessly.
“Ah, shut up!
Don’t act so full of yourself just because you and Princess Alya are close!” Tada snapped, irritated.
“I don’t know… it’s more like she tolerates me…” Isagi replied calmly.
He briefly wondered if Tada would freak out if he knew Alya spoke to him completely differently in Russian… probably.
“Still, that’s better than her completely ignoring you.
She barely talks to anyone, and if you try to start a conversation, she shuts you down with a formal response immediately.” “Well… we’ve been sitting next to each other for over a year now.” “Even so.
You’re practically the only one who can call her by her nickname to her face.” “Yeah… I guess so.” “Man… I wish the lonely princess would let me call her by her nickname too…” “Why don’t you try, then?
Be more direct…” Masachika suggested, joining the conversation.
Tada grimaced and waved his hands in refusal.
“No way.
I wouldn’t even know how to approach someone that perfect.
I’ve never seen anyone that beautiful in my life.” Isagi rolled his eyes.
“I admit they’re beautiful, but you don’t have to worship them like that.
Alya, for example, is actually funny once you get to know her… in several ways.” “‘Look at me, I’m Yoichi Isagi, I know the real Alya’… aren’t you getting a bit full of yourself?” “I’m not bragging.” “Oh, so she’s ‘kind of funny,’ huh?
Impressive coming from you.” “Detecting sarcasm, Tada?
Trying to put me in my place?” “That’s not it.
I’m just saying it’s funny hearing that from someone she treats like a bullying target every day.” “Ah…” Isagi looked away and gave a small nod.
One of the reasons the old Isagi had been okay with Alisa scolding him every day was because, deep down, she was right.
But more than that, it was because what she whispered to him in Russian always sounded sweet to his ears.
Besides, Alisa wouldn’t constantly scold him if she truly hated him from the start.
She would simply ignore him… which, to him, suggested that deep down, she probably liked him.
Yes, even someone as dense as his predecessor had realized that—so of course, he had too… But he changed the subject and asked: “Anyway, how about trying to talk to her?
It’s not a big deal.
You might be surprised to find you have a lot in common.” “Yeah, but after what happened last year… I don’t know.” The other two nodded in agreement with Tada.
Last year, an extremely beautiful transfer student had appeared at the school like a comet.
Alisa quickly became the center of attention.
Transfer students were already extremely rare at Ichinan High School.
That was because the transfer entrance exam was incredibly difficult.
The school itself was already highly selective, but that specific exam raised the bar to another level—only a tiny fraction of applicants passed.
Even so, Alisa not only passed, but also achieved the highest scores on her midterm exams in her class.
And as if that weren’t enough, she was extremely beautiful.
It would be stranger if she hadn’t become the center of attention.
However, despite numerous students trying to get close to her, Alisa always maintained a clear distance.
She never seemed interested in mixing in or forming bonds easily.
Before long, she began to be called the “lonely princess.” “If I’m going to try to win someone over, it’ll be Yuki.
By elimination, of course…” Tada declared, looking at one of the girls in the cafeteria line.
She had long, shiny black hair that reached her waist, and although she was short, she had a well-proportioned body.
At first glance, she didn’t stand out as dramatically as Alisa or Maria, but there was a natural elegance in her gestures and a firm posture, almost as if she had been raised under strict discipline.
Yuki Suou was a second-year student and a member of the student council responsible for publicity.
Coming from a family of former nobles with diplomatic traditions, she naturally carried a refined aura.
Just as Alisa was called the “lonely princess,” Yuki was known among the students as the “noble princess,” due to her elegant behavior and impeccable social skills.
The two were, in a way, the most talked-about “princesses” in the school.
“I mean, I know she’s out of my league, but at least she’s easy to talk to since she’s my classmate.
Princess Alya isn’t even in my class…” Tada said, shaking his head.
“Do you really think you have a chance?” Renji asked, frowning.
“Yuki has rejected more guys than even Alisa.” “Hmm… maybe she’s not even looking for a boyfriend?
Or maybe she already has a fiancé, like those traditional families?” Then he turned to Masachika.
“What about you, Masachika?
What do you think?” “Why are you asking me?” “Who else would I ask?
You two are siblings, aren’t you?” Tada insisted.
Masachika sighed.
“She doesn’t have a fiancé, as far as I know.
But I don’t know if she’s interested in dating either.” “Then ask her.” “No.” “Why not?!
Come on, be a good friend!” “Real friends don’t use friendship as a tool for interrogation…” Masachika replied dryly.
The remark drew a quiet laugh from Isagi.
“That’s a definite no, huh?” Tada said, defeated, crossing his arms.
“Damn… I just wanted some inside information.” Masachika gave a faint smile as he returned to his mapo tofu.
“Inside information doesn’t work with decent people, Tada.
And if you really want to know what’s going on in Yuki’s head… go ask her yourself.” Renji and Tada exchanged looks as if that were equivalent to crossing a minefield.
Isagi simply shook his head, amused by his friends’ hesitation.
Somehow, that whole conversation made him feel a bit more at ease with his new life.
With one final, drawn-out sigh of satisfaction, Masachika set his chopsticks down on the tray, leaning back in his chair with the expression of someone who had just won a silent battle against spicy ramen.
“Well… that concludes my daily session of gastronomic self-flagellation.” While the others continued their aimless discussion about the “hypothetical chances” of winning over one of the school’s princesses, Masachika cast a quick glance toward the cafeteria entrance.
And that was when he noticed.
Yuki Suou was scanning the room with her eyes, tray in hand, while Maria and Alisa chatted casually beside her.
The three were looking for a table, but as expected at that hour, the cafeteria was packed.
Still, there was something different in the way Yuki behaved.
She wasn’t just looking around.
She was looking for someone.
And for a fraction of a second—almost too casual to be intentional—her gaze met his.
…A sidelong glance, almost disguised, but carrying a silent expectation.
Masachika understood immediately.
She was waiting for him to call her.
The corner of his mouth curved into a faint, almost ironic smile.
Tsk.
What a prideful girl.
It was obvious Yuki hesitated to approach with the other two.
Perhaps because she noticed he was with the soccer team boys—a group she wasn’t very familiar with, except for Isagi—which made the situation slightly ambiguous.
At the same time, she clearly didn’t want to be the first to ask to join them.
He stood up, picked up his tray, and said as if it were completely trivial: “Well, I’m done.
I’ll return my tray.” Renji and Tada didn’t pay much attention, still caught in their own bubble of unreachable romantic fantasies.
Isagi, however, slightly raised an eyebrow upon noticing Masachika’s sudden movement.
“You’re leaving already?
I thought you’d stay a bit longer.” “I’ve got things to do…” he replied vaguely, already turning toward the exit.
As he passed near Yuki, Maria, and Alisa, Masachika made a slight nod—subtle enough to seem casual, but clear enough for Yuki to understand it as a silent invitation, typical of him.
And then, as if the decision had been made from the start, the three girls began to approach the group.
_____________________ (A/N: First of all, thank you for reading this story.
Your support there also helps a lot in keeping the story updated consistently.
I hope you continue enjoying Isagi’s completely cursed new life in this crossover world.)