Chapter 628: Dinner Party
At the [Flame Flavor] barbecue restaurant.
Warm yellow light illuminated the wooden tables and chairs, and the air permeated with the enticing aroma of grilled meat.
Kusakabe Sakura was already waiting at the long table by the window, with several young boys and girls in Hero Department uniforms sitting beside her.
“Hey, Shin’ichi, over here!”
Upon seeing Kazumi and Satō Shin’ichi enter, Kusakabe Sakura immediately stood up and waved. She had changed into casual clothes, and her short pink hair still had some water on it, clearly having just showered.
Satō Shin’ichi followed Kazumi behind her, looking a bit flustered. He clearly froze for a moment when he saw everyone beside Kusakabe Sakura.
“Sister Sakura, who are these people?”
“My friends from the Hero Department,” Kusakabe Sakura introduced heartily. “They all wanted to see the regular department student you said could fight you to a draw!”
A male student wearing glasses sitting next to Kusakabe Sakura pushed up his glasses and eyed Satō Shin’ichi with interest. “So you’re that guy, the one who can make Kusakabe look bad.”
“Hey! Who looks bad!” Kusakabe Sakura immediately bristled, drawing a burst of laughter.
Kazumi didn’t interject, quietly observing the Hero Department students. They all carried a unique aura of confidence, and their demeanor revealed a completely different aura from the regular department students.
“This must be Sato’s girlfriend, right?” a girl with a ponytail friendly extended her hand to Kazumi. “I’m Fujiwara Chinatsu, a third-year student. My power is [Ice Crystal]. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Shimizu Kazumi. It’s nice to meet you too,” Kazumi politely shook her hand.
“Alright, alright, we’re all friends, no need to be so formal. We’ll chat properly during the meal. Let’s order first!” Kusakabe Sakura interrupted the unfamiliar pleasantries between them with a helpless expression, pushing the menu in front of Kazumi. She continued, “The specially selected Wagyu here is limited, you know. Shimizu-, what would you like to eat?”
As the barbecue was served, the atmosphere gradually became more lively. Kusakabe Sakura’s friends were clearly very interested in Satō Shin’ichi, constantly asking him about his training methods.
“So, you really don’t have any powers? Fujiwara Chinatsu asked incredulously. “You can fight Sister Sakura like that purely with martial arts? You know Sister Sakura’s martial arts are top-tier in our grade!”
“My apologies,” Satō Shin’ichi scratched his head sheepishly. “Well… I’ve been training with my master since I was young. My master is quite strict with me.”
“That’s amazing!” a boy wearing a wristband exclaimed. “Have you considered coming to our agency after graduation? Although it’s not as good as the Kusakabe family’s…”
“Hey! Trying to poach people in front of me? His master is [Warhammer], he definitely has his own plans.”
Kusakabe Sakura pretended to hit him, causing everyone to laugh again. She also casually brought up Satō Shin’ichi’s family background, which could reduce some unnecessary trouble for the young boy.
Meanwhile, Kazumi on the side did not join the lively conversation. She sat quietly beside Satō Shin’ichi, eating the meat he grilled for her. She then picked up a piece of lettuce and placed it on Satō Shin’ichi’s meat plate. His actions, as if it were a normal part of their daily life, caught Fujiwara Chinatsu’s attention. Compared to the other boys and Kusakabe Sakura, who mingled with the boys, Fujiwara Chinatsu, being a girl, naturally noticed more subtle things. She leaned closer and whispered in admiration, “You two have such a good relationship. Shimizu-, can you tell us how you met?”
“Right, right! I almost forgot, this is the main topic of today’s dinner party! I’ve only been away from school for this long, and Shin’ichi already has a girlfriend. This is huge news!”
Upon hearing their conversation, Kusakabe Sakura also immediately joined in, throwing an arm around Fujiwara Chinatsu’s neck. She looked at Kazumi with an expectant expression, her eyes gleaming with gossip. The other boys were also drawn to the topic, and they stopped their conversations to look over.
Kazumi was caught off guard by the sudden attention. Her chopsticks paused mid-air. She glanced at Satō Shin’ichi, who had suddenly gone stiff beside her. The young boy was desperately stuffing meat into his mouth, but his ears had somehow turned a bright red.
“This, this… we’re actually in a very normal campus romance. Because we’re classmates, we have more opportunities to interact,” Kazumi gently put down her chopsticks, a slight smile on her lips, as if recalling some amusing scenes.
“Wow, you’re even classmates!”
“So enviable!” The girl’s explanation immediately drew envy from the other two boys. After all, the Hero Department was different from the regular department. Young boys and girls who hadn’t yet mastered their powers were more or less affected by side effects. Coupled with their noble family backgrounds, each of them had some temper issues. Overall, the dating pool for Hero Department students was much smaller compared to the regular department, let alone a romance between classmates in the same class.
“I don’t believe it!” Kusakabe Sakura, who was known for her straightforward and sometimes fiery temper, immediately called out. “Shin’ichi has been like a block of wood towards girls since he was little. How could he suddenly open up!”
“Pfft— Sister Sakura!” Satō Shin’ichi almost choked on his meat, frantically grabbing a cup of water and taking a large gulp.
Kazumi looked at the boy’s flustered state and couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “But it was indeed him who confessed first.” She paused deliberately, savoring Satō Shin’ichi’s exasperated expression. “In front of the fountain behind the third teaching building. He was so nervous he was even stammering.”
“Wow—” the crowd let out a cheer.
Fujiwara Chinatsu cupped her face with both hands. “How romantic! So it was love at first sight?”
“Absolutely not!” Satō Shin’ichi couldn’t help but defend himself. “I… I had noticed her before…” His voice stopped abruptly as he looked at Kazumi’s smiling eyes, as if suddenly realizing something. His entire face turned red.
“Oh~ So you had your eye on her even before~” Kusakabe Sakura drawled, playfully touching her index fingers together, hinting at their relationship. “I didn’t expect you to secretly mature when I wasn’t looking, Shin’ichi.”
“Sister Sakura!” Satō Shin’ichi interrupted her vexedly, turning to Kazumi with a pleading look. Kazumi’s eyes clearly conveyed “Help me.” Obviously, facing so many people questioning the details of their romance, even the usually bold Satō Shin’ichi was too shy to reveal everything.
“Sister Sakura, please stop teasing Shin’ichi,” Kazumi intervened at the right time, her eyes filled with a gentle smile. She reached out and poked Satō Shin’ichi beside her, gesturing for him not to be so shy about such things. Her dark eyes, with a strange, flickering glint, looked directly at Kusakabe Sakura opposite them. Her usually calm tone seemed to carry a hint of irrefutable authority. “Besides, speaking of which, I’m also very interested in Kusakabe Senpai’s stories with Shin’ichi-kun when they were little.”
