Thursday, six in the morning.
Luo Yu woke early.
Looking at the girl in his arms, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
Ranni's shy yet earnest efforts the previous night had given him a level of stimulation unlike anything he had experienced before. It was, in many ways, a first for him—an unforgettable one.
Before he could indulge in the memory for long, Ranni slowly opened her eyes.
"My king… you are pressing against me."
"Ahem. Sorry. Morning reaction."
Luo Yu shifted slightly, creating a bit of distance.
There was no helping it. Holding such a charming girl in his arms and remaining completely unmoved was beyond him.
Seeing that it was about time, he got up, dressed, and left the room.
Ranni remained beneath the covers for a while longer, quietly enjoying the warmth of a real bed—something she had not felt in ages.
After washing up, Luo Yu went downstairs to prepare breakfast.
Ten minutes later, Ranni changed at a leisurely pace and came down, sitting at the dining table while waiting for the meal.
As he flipped egg pancakes in the pan, Luo Yu said, "We're running low on ingredients. I'll buy more tonight. There's still time—I can also prepare your lunch. Or would you prefer going out to buy something? There's a convenience store nearby with plenty of options."
Ranni considered briefly.
"Prepare something for me. Afterward, I would like to take a walk around the area. Just this morning, when I came downstairs, I noticed several more wraiths outside. They are extremely weak, though. Hardly aggressive."
Luo Yu nodded. "I sensed them too. No need to worry unless they enter the house. The weak ones will dissipate on their own eventually."
Once the egg pancakes were done, he added bacon and sausages, spread some sauce, and breakfast was ready.
After a comfortable meal, he packed both his and Ranni's lunches. Taking his schoolbag, he bid her farewell and headed to school.
Ranni sat downstairs for a short while, watched a bit of television, then returned upstairs to continue gaming.
Aside from playing games, she also intended to explore the internet more thoroughly. Watching Luo Yu navigate it the day before had made her realize how much knowledge it contained.
Meanwhile, Luo Yu had just entered the classroom and taken his seat when his phone vibrated.
A message from Miko Yotsuya.
Miko Yotsuya:
"Good morning, Luo Yu-san. After I went home yesterday, I really didn't see any wraiths at all! Um… can we handle my eyes at noon today?"
From the tone of her message, Luo Yu could sense both her excitement and her urgency.
After all, he had told her the suppression would only last a day. By afternoon, its effect would fade.
After a brief moment of thought, he replied.
Luo Yu:
"Let's meet somewhere at noon. I'll explain then. Are you bringing a lunchbox, or eating at the cafeteria?"
In Class C, Miko Yotsuya read his message.
The mention of meeting at noon made her cheeks flush.
Meeting at noon… does that mean we're eating together?
Trying not to overthink it, she quickly typed her reply.
Miko Yotsuya:
"I brought a lunchbox. Where should we meet?"
Luo Yu:
"The rooftop of the school building. We can talk while eating."
So he brought a lunchbox too.
Miko nodded unconsciously, feeling inexplicably cheerful as they finalized the plan.
"Miko, why are you smiling at your phone like that?"
The sudden voice behind her made her jump in fright.
She quickly covered her phone and turned around, glaring at Hana Yurikawa.
"Hana! You nearly gave me a heart attack! Why do you walk so quietly?"
"Eh? I wasn't quiet at all. You were just too focused. So what were you doing?"
Hana leaned closer, trying to peek at the screen.
Without hesitation, Miko locked her phone and shoved it into her desk drawer.
"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!"
There was no way she was letting Hana find out about meeting Luo Yu at noon.
That would be far too embarrassing.
And as for the matter of wraiths… she didn't want her carefree friend worrying about such things.
"Hm! You're suspicious, Miko!"
Though curious, Hana eventually gave up when Miko refused to budge and shifted the conversation to something else, allowing Miko to finally relax.
When the morning classes ended, Luo Yu stretched comfortably, retrieved his lunchbox from his desk, and left the classroom.
Yukinoshita Yukino watched his departing figure with slight surprise. It was the first time she had seen him bring his own lunch.
But that was hardly her concern.
Taking her own lunch, she left as well, heading toward the clubroom she had recently secured. She planned to eat there and tidy up the space, preparing it properly.
Luo Yu climbed the stairs all the way to the rooftop.
Pushing open the heavy door, he scanned the area and nodded.
"Good. No one's here today. No need to worry about being overheard. The weather's nice too."
He walked to a bench, brushed off the light dust with a subtle touch of magic, and sat down to wait.
Five minutes later, after finally slipping away from Hana Yurikawa, Miko Yotsuya cautiously arrived on the rooftop, clutching her lunchbox.
"Good afternoon, Luo Yu-san."
He turned toward her and gestured to the seat beside him.
"Good afternoon. Come sit. Let's eat and talk."
"O-okay."
A faint blush coloring her cheeks, Miko sat down and opened her lunchbox.
Inside was a typical Japanese bento—rice, grilled meat, mixed vegetables, and tamagoyaki.
When she saw the contents of Luo Yu's lunch, her eyes widened.
"That's amazing… Chinese food?"
Luo Yu smiled. "The cafeteria is decent, but it doesn't serve Chinese cuisine. So I made some myself. Would you like to try?"
"Eh? Really?"
Tempted, Miko lifted her chopsticks—then hesitated.
After a brief pause, she picked up a piece of tamagoyaki from her own box and placed it in front of him.
"Then… let's exchange."