At 6 AM the next morning, Minami began his morning run.
In the simulator, there were two scenarios where he passed away before Bocchi.
Although both times were due to natural causes, from a certain perspective, it indicated that his current physical condition had flaws.
So, he decisively decided to wake up early and exercise.
He set off from his home and ran several kilometers outward before circling back.
Returning to his rental apartment, Minami glanced at the simulator screen.
[Your physical fitness has slightly improved. Current stamina value: 6.]
Good.
Leaning against his small fridge, he took a gulp of water and nodded in satisfaction.
He was already excellent, but who would refuse to become even better?
This was just the first day of training—he would only grow stronger and more perfect in the future!
"Keep going. With a beauty score of 9, I have to become the perfect big brother."
Murmuring to himself in front of the mirror, Minami set his resolve to improve and started preparing today's bento.
He casually took ingredients from the fridge, skillfully laying out the chicken breast.
Using a slanted knife, he sliced the chicken into thin pieces about 4 to 5 millimeters thick.
He then seasoned it with precise proportions of salt, garlic, and black pepper before sealing it with plastic wrap to marinate.
While waiting for the chicken to absorb the flavors, he prepared side dishes.
"Stew... Potato stew sounds good."
Muttering to himself, he quickly peeled and chopped the potatoes into irregular chunks with practiced ease.
Perhaps this was the power of
LV4 Cooking Skills
—just one glance at available ingredients and he instantly knew countless ways to process and cook them. He could even sense their quality.
It had to be said,
LV4 Cooking Skills
was at a professional level.
Even among professionals, he might be considered top-tier.
Despite rarely cooking, Minami effortlessly handled ingredients he had never prepared before.
This made him even more curious about
Bocchi's actual cooking skills
in the simulation.
It seemed she wasn't just a guitar prodigy—she might have her own talent in cooking as well.
After heating oil in the pan, Minami placed the marinated chicken pieces coated in batter into the hot oil.
The rich aroma of frying chicken filled the air as the golden oil bubbled around them.
He fried them first at
medium temperature
, then increased the heat for the final
10 seconds
to make the outer layer crispier.
Once the bento was fully prepared—
[You have made a 4.3-star Perfect Homemade Bento.]
The system notification popped up.
Minami instinctively looked over.
The
fried chicken
was perfectly cooked, with an enticing aroma seeping through the crispy coating.
The
potato stew
was arranged neatly, its golden-brown edges slightly translucent under the light, releasing a mouthwatering steam.
At first glance, it looked like a simple homemade bento.
But... it smelled
amazing
!
Why did he suddenly crave it so much?
"Huuh—"
With his strong self-discipline, Minami managed to suppress his urge to take a bite.
He exhaled and closed the bento lid.
Today's goal was to test
Shouji Hitori's Happy Cooking Technique
, so the bento was meant for
Bocchi
to taste.
No need to rush.
He could always make another one for himself later.
After picking up the bento, he checked the time.
"Almost time to go."
Leaving home, he took the train to
Shuka High School
, which wasn't far.
Along the way, he greeted fellow students who proactively said hello.
Sitting at his desk, he patiently waited for lunchtime.
He was curious—just how good was a
4.3-star bento
on a 5-star scale?
The morning classes were uneventful.
With
LV4 Learning
, an
8 in academic ability
, and having already pre-studied most of Shuka High's curriculum, Minami only needed to listen briefly to remember the key points.
Then, he continued waiting for lunch.
However, fate had other plans.
Just before the final morning class ended—
As Minami was getting ready to head to the courtyard, his
math teacher
called him.
"Minami, please head to the principal's office after class. Principal Okano wants to speak with you."
The principal?
Minami paused.
"It's probably about
your tuition exemption
—congratulations, Minami! You're really outstanding."
Seeing his confusion, the
female math teacher
smiled warmly as she explained.
As an older, single woman, she had a soft spot for
handsome and academically gifted students
like Minami.
"Oh, I see. Thanks for explaining, sensei."
Hearing this, Minami remembered that
Shuka Private High School
granted
tuition waivers
to top-performing students.
But with the simulator suddenly appearing, he had completely forgotten about it.
This was good news.
Shuka's tuition was expensive, and a tuition waiver would ease his family's financial burden.
Although he was eager to witness
Minami Hitori's Happy Cooking Technique
in action—
The tuition exemption was more important.
After a moment of thought, he made his decision.
He took out his phone.
Tokyo's No.1 Pretty Boy:
Sorry, Gotoh-san. Something urgent came up, so I might not make it to the courtyard. My apologies.
(🙏 emoji)
Probably Already Dead:
Ah... It's okay.
Tokyo's No.1 Pretty Boy:
I left the bento on the courtyard bench. If you don't mind, you can take it and let me know what you think later.
Probably Already Dead:
...Alright. Thank you for your hard work.
...
Why was she thanking him
?
Wasn't he the one inconveniencing
her
?
Seeing Bocchi's
apologetic tone even in text
, Minami shook his head and closed LINE.
Hopefully, after talking more, she'd grow more confident.
Leaving the bento on the courtyard bench, he exhaled and headed toward the principal's office.
What he didn't know was that the moment he turned around—
A
pink-haired figure
, hiding behind a school column, nervously peeked out.
"Ugh—after thinking about all those embarrassing things yesterday, I really don't have the courage to face him today!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Behind the pillar,
Bocchi
repeatedly bowed toward the distant Minami.
Only after several apologies did she hesitantly step forward and pick up the bento.
This is... Minami-senpai's cooking?
Through the plastic lid, her
delicate nose
twitched.
An
incredibly enticing aroma
wafted from inside.
It smelled... really good?
He even went through the trouble of making a bento for
someone like me, a social outcast
...
Holding the bento, Bocchi recalled last night's overwhelming thoughts and memories.
Minami-senpai... He really is a kind person.
"Senpai did say he wanted me to taste-test this..."
Wouldn't that mean
more people should try it
?
Clutching the bento, Bocchi thought for a moment.
Maybe...
I should bring this to the band practice room and share it with everyone?
For Advanced Chapters, 16+ ahead on my /Loverice929