The next day after classes, I stood in front of the Cooking Club room door. My first "assignment." My first test.
Rumors had already spread like wildfire. Everywhere I went in the halls, girls whispered:
"Isn't he the one the Student Council summoned?"
"I heard they're making him work off his punishment!"
"No, no, he's joining the Cooking Club to marry into a housewife career..."
By the time I pushed the door open, I was already bracing myself.
The warm scent of miso and fresh rice greeted me. Alongside it… voices. Too many voices.
"Ah! You made it!" Yui waved from the counter, already wearing a pink apron with little pawprints. Her enthusiasm was practically blinding. "Come on, come on! You can be my partner!"
Before I could answer, another voice cut in, sharp, cool, annoyed.
"That's unfair, Yuigahama. Don't drag him into your pace." Yukino adjusted her pristine apron, clearly borrowed but worn like it belonged. She glanced at me only briefly before refocusing on the cutting board, as if daring me to comment.
"Sensei~! You're joining us too? Ufufu, this is gonna be fun!"
It was Saika Totsuka. A soft smile, a neat apron tied around her slim figure. She clasped her hands shyly, but her eyes lit up in a way that sent an unexpected jolt through me. Cute… too cute.
"Wait! wait... hold on, don't ignore us!"
The chorus belonged to the Nakano sisters, who'd claimed an entire kitchen station in the back.
Ichika smirked, arms crossed. Nino looked like she was already sharpening a knife just by holding it. Miku fiddled with her apron straps, while Yotsuba waved so hard she almost dropped a ladle. And Itsuki, well, Itsuki was glaring at the recipe book like it was a personal enemy.
The room was already crowded enough. But of course, it couldn't end there.
"Eh? You're here too?" The playful drawl came from Nagatoro, leaning against the wall with a predatory grin. Behind her, Yoshi and Sakura peeked in, already whispering and giggling.
"This is going to be a nightmare," I muttered.
"Correction," Yukino said coolly without looking up. "This will be your examination."
The assignment was simple on paper: assist the Cooking Club in preparing a meal for the teachers' lounge.
In practice, it was… war.
"Try my dish first, okay?" Yui beamed, holding up a heart-shaped omelet.
"Don't you dare feed him something half-cooked." Yukino intercepted smoothly, her knife flashing as she diced vegetables with surgical precision.
"E-Eat mine too…" Saika offered a plate, cheeks pink. "I tried my best…"
Before I could reply, Nino slammed her ladle down. "Oi! He's eating OUR food first. Don't cut in line!"
"W-Wha... why are you deciding that for me?!" Miku stammered, clutching her plate like a shield.
"Relax, relax. I'll charm him without lifting a finger," Ichika teased, twirling a strand of hair.
Yotsuba, meanwhile, had somehow set part of her station on fire.
And amidst it all, Nagatoro prowled around me like a cat circling prey. "Senpai~ you look like you're dying. Should I feed you myself? Ahh... say ahhh... "
I buried my face in my hands. This wasn't a cooking test. This was survival.
By the time the teachers arrived to sample the dishes, I was already stuffed, my taste buds numb from the barrage of flavors, some surprisingly good, others catastrophic.
The teachers, mercifully, praised the effort. "Delicious. A fine club showcase."
Touya's observer from the Student Council, Chisaki, leaned against the doorway, scribbling notes with way too much amusement on her face. "Not bad. You survived the kitchen battlefield without anyone dying. That's progress."
I slumped against the counter, exhausted.
Yui slid beside me with a triumphant smile. "See? You did great!"
Yukino, of course, scoffed. "Barely. Don't let it go to your head."
And Saika… Saika simply smiled softly, looking relieved.
Then Nagatoro jabbed me in the side with a spoon. "Don't relax yet, Senpai. This was only Round One."
Her grin told me everything. This world wasn't going to make it easy.
By morning, the fallout had already begun.
I didn't even make it past the school gates before I started hearing it.
"Hey, isn't that him? The one who cooked with Yukinoshita-san?"
"No, no, I heard Yuigahama fed him with her spoon!"
"Are you blind? It was Saika-chan who got the closest!"
"Wrong! It was Nagatoro, she totally made him say 'ahh...' like in a romcom scene!"
Every corridor I walked through became a battlefield of rumors. Girls huddled in corners, whispering like town criers. Classrooms buzzed with speculation. Even upperclassmen who'd never spoken to me suddenly stared like I was some celebrity or a ticking time bomb.
"Geez…" I muttered, slumping against my desk. "One cooking session and they act like I proposed to half the school."
"Maybe you did," Yui said brightly, leaning across the desk with a mischievous grin. "It's like, super romantic if you think about it~ feeding each other, blushing, kitchen vibes..."
Yukino cut her off sharply. "Stop polluting the air with nonsense. None of it was remotely romantic."
"Huh?!" Yui pouted, puffing her cheeks.
Saika, sitting a row behind, fiddled nervously with his... her fingers. "B-But… I was really happy he tried mine…"
That simple line set Yui and Yukino both stiff. The silence that followed was the kind that could spark a second Great War.
Ichika Nakano, overhearing from across the room, smirked knowingly. "Fufu~ rumors always carry some truth. I wonder what part's real this time?"
"Shut it, Ichika!" Nino snapped, throwing her bag onto her desk. "Obviously, he liked ours best."
Miku muttered under her breath, "N-No, he looked happiest eating mine…"
"Guys, please stop…" Yotsuba pleaded, hands flailing. "It was all fun, right? Right?!"
Itsuki, however, had her nose buried in a cooking manual, mumbling, "I'll… I'll win next time…"
By lunch break, things had escalated so badly that I actually had to eat alone on the rooftop just to breathe. And even then, I caught sight of Nagatoro dangling her legs over the fence, smirking down at me like a cat that had cornered its prey.
"You're really popular now, Senpai~" she teased, leaning close enough to poke my cheek. "Think you'll survive the next round?"
I sighed. "At this rate, I won't survive until graduation."
I didn't even get a full day to relax.
As soon as classes ended, a notice slipped onto my desk:
"Report to the Student Council Room. - Touya Kenzaki, President."
Great. Round Two.
The Council room felt more intimidating than any classroom. Neat, polished, orderly with its officers lined up like judges waiting for the defendant.
Touya Kenzaki, the President, sat at the center. Her sharp eyes regarded me with a mix of interest and cold calculation. Chisaki Sarashina lounged beside her, arms crossed, clearly enjoying herself. Maria Kujou busied herself with notes, Yuki Suou's gaze was unreadable, and Alisa or Alya, as some whispered twirled a pen like she wanted to stab someone with it.
And then, to the side, stood Haruka Hayama and her entourage the Oregairu squad now positioned like Council aides. Seeing Haruka's elegant smile contrasted with Yukino's current scowl felt… surreal.
"So," Touya began, folding her hands. "You survived the Cooking Club. Barely."
"Thank you…?" I said weakly.
"That was your trial run," she continued. "The Council doesn't test without reason. You're under scrutiny, and the student body is restless."
I swallowed. "So… what now?"
Touya's lips curved into a smile that wasn't comforting at all. "Now, we escalate. Your next task: integrate into another club, this time one less… domestic. We'll observe if you can survive under pressure rather than warmth."
Chisaki leaned forward, grinning. "And don't worry, we've already picked out some fun candidates for you. Drama, Sports, maybe even Student Council assistance…"
My stomach dropped. "I… don't get a say in this, do I?"
Touya's eyes narrowed. "No. Consider this… your verdict arc."
The room was silent except for the scratching of Maria's pen and the faint hum of tension.
For the first time, I realized: this wasn't just about clubs or rumors.
The Council was testing whether I had the right to exist at the center of this school's unstable balance.
And every trial was only going to get harder.
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Thanks for reading. You can also give me ideas for the future or pinpoint plot holes that I may have forgotten, if you want.
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