After Ishigami's declaration, we went on our separate ways.
I had some grocery shopping to do, so I headed towards the mall.
It seemed like Horikita wanted to talk with Hosen and Nanase, so she stayed there along with the others.
There was a chance that Hosen might try to do something, for which Sudo insisted on staying with her, even though she said she could manage.
Well, that goes on to show how much he cares for her.
Putting that aside, this was a strange turns of events.
It was a clear disparity among students of first year and caused due to their internal conflict.
My guess is class 1A, to which Ishigami belongs and is the leader of, was against the notion of auction, which Hoshizaki of class 1C proposed.
Despite of retaliations, Hoshizaki posted that notice on the school's official website, which also implies that she has connection with the student council members somehow.
As the situation had gone out of hands, Ishigami stepped forward to formally apologize to the class leaders of second year.
There are certain strange things though.
Why is Hoshizaki so submissive towards Ishigami?
Judging from their interaction, it's hard to believe they just met in this school for the first time.
Well, it's possible to build a perfectly normal friendship just after a few months of joining the school, but that was clearly a kind of superior-subordinate relationship.
Then, they might have been acquaintances even before joining this school.
I have no way of knowing though.
Not yet.
At last, there is one thing I am concerned about.
Sakayanagi passed me a piece of information on my first day of second year.
"Apparently, there are at least 4 students from white room mixed in with the first years."
If I take Ayanokouji as a standard for identifying white room students, then it would be very easy to find them.
Why, you ask?
According to the novel, Ayanokouji presents himself as a loner from the very first day of his class.
However, as narrated later on, he almost shows no emotions on his face, except those dark and cold eyes.
If I take out students of such characteristics, and continue to observe them for a few days, I would be able to find them real quick.
The only problem is, if they are a girl, it would be a bit difficult for me to follow them.
And if they are all on the same level as Ayanokouji, then they would be able to detect my presence.
Well, I don't need to actually follow them to observe their behavior, because I have other methods.
What I was trying to say is, based on Ayanokouji's tendency to avoid being conspicuous, the first years standing before me, who arranged this whole auction thing, might not be white room students at all.
This is not confirmative though, so I have decided to observe each one of the first years who were present including Ishigami.
Although, there is a possibility that Sakayanagi was simply lying to me.
But, I don't think Sakayanagi is the type to lie to her opponents.
And there is also Horikita's move to talk with Hosen and Nanase.
I can roughly guess why she took the initiative, but let's see how it goes on for the time being.
There were other first years and Ishigami present there too.
So, I am sure that Hosen would not try to do anything.
As I made my way toward the Keyaki Mall, I let my thoughts settle.
The breeze was mild, and the path was as crowded as ever.
Students from all years strolled around, some chatting, others lost in their own world.
For a moment, I put aside all thoughts about the first-years, White Room students, and Horikita's meeting with Hosen.
Right now, I had one objective—restocking my groceries.
***
Upon entering the supermarket, I grabbed a basket and started moving through the familiar aisles.
I was thinking about cooking myself, since I am not very busy these days.
During my days at that black company, I used to cook once in a while, whenever I got the chance.
So, I was eager to try different things after transmigration.
Since I had been so busy, getting hit with one twist after another, I couldn't do anything about it.
Hence, I decided to buy utensils first, before buying groceries.
I walked over to the section where they sold kitchen utensils.
Pots, pans, knives—there was a decent variety, though nothing too fancy. I wasn't aiming for high-end equipment anyway, just something reliable for everyday cooking.
I picked up a medium-sized non-stick pan and tested its weight. It felt solid, not too heavy but not flimsy either. Next, I grabbed a cutting board and a chef's knife. The blade looked sharp enough, but I made a mental note to buy a sharpener later.
Now for the groceries.
I moved toward the fresh produce section, scanning for vegetables I could use in simple dishes. Tomatoes, onions, and some leafy greens were a must. I also grabbed a few packs of meat—some chicken and beef should do.
As I placed the items in my basket, I heard a familiar voice behind me.
"Shopping for groceries? That's unexpected."
I turned around and saw Minami San, the receptionist at the cafe,standing there, a small shopping basket in her hand.
She was dressed casually in a simple white blouse and dark jeans, giving off a relaxed vibe.
Her black hair was tied up in a loose ponytail, and her sharp eyes scanned the contents of my basket with mild curiosity.
"You cook?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I do," I replied simply. "Figured it's about time I started making proper meals instead of relying on convenience store food."
Minami San gave a slight nod, as if approving my decision. "That's a good habit. A well-balanced diet is important, especially in a place like this."
I noticed she had a few items in her own basket—mostly vegetables, some tofu, and a pack of eggs. "What about you? Cooking for yourself?"
"Yeah. I don't like eating out too much," she said. "Besides, it's cheaper."
That made sense. Even though employees here had a decent salary, managing points wisely was important.
As I reached for a pack of rice, she suddenly asked, "Do you know how to make anything specific, or are you just winging it?"
"Just simple dishes for now," I admitted. "It's been a while since I cooked regularly."
She glanced at my basket again and then, after a short pause, said, "I'll give you a recipe. Something easy but good."
That was unexpected. "You cook often?"
Minami San shrugged. "Enough to survive. Here—get some miso and tofu."
I blinked. "Miso soup?"
She gave a small smirk. "Obviously. You need something warm with your meals."
I considered it for a moment, then added the ingredients to my basket. "Alright. I'll try it."
"Good." She looked satisfied before stepping ahead toward the next aisle.
For some reason, I felt like I had just gained an unofficial cooking mentor.
"By the way, I want to thank you properly this time, for saving me that day. ", I said.
" That's not really necessary Yamauchi-kun. I am glad that you have some how recovered from that injury.", she replied with a warm smile on her face.
It's really difficult to stumble across such a kind soul in this cruel world.
She might be the only one, who has shown me such kindness unconditionally, in my entire life.
"No, seriously, I am so thankful to you, for all you have done for me.", I bowed my head and said.
It was a simple gesture of greatfullness from me.
Heck, if circumstances were not like this, I would have fallen for her a long time ago, she being around my mental age.
"Actually, there was someone else too with me, who noticed you first. So i think you should thank her instead.", she said that with firm look on her face.
" Well, of course, I would love to meet with this person if possible."
At that time, I had no idea today was the day, my seemingly peaceful days would be thrown into pure chaos embalmed in internal conflict.
The person I hated the most in my life apart from that bitch of a senior.
Due to whom, I was traumatized beyond recovery.
The person who didn't leave me even after I transmigtated, and haunted me like a ghost.
The face I was disgustes to see.
The voice which made me nauseous.
Then that familiar voice reached my ears as if a reminder that my peaceful days are over.
"Minami san, are you not done yet? I have to stop by at the cafe too."
The voice almost pierced my ears and reverberated inside my brain.
"Amamiya-san, please come here for a second and meet this young boy. His name is Yamauchi Haruki."
"Ah, it's the boy from that day.", she closed the distance between us, and appeared before me.
"Nice to meet you, Yamauchi-kun. Myself, Amamiya Rika."
The moment she said her name, my vision blurred, my breath hitched, and my heart pounded violently against my chest.
I felt like I was suffocating.
It was her.
My mother.
Or at least, the woman who was my mother in my previous life.
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A/N:
Now I am going to gradually focus on his own life, along with the special exams.
Please share your opinions on this aspect.
Next chapter : The Disturbing Past
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