COTE: Popularity System

Night.

A private room in the luxury cruise ship restaurant.

The students of Class 1-A were holding an appreciation party. All 40 students of the class had come to the private room, enjoying their leisure time after the Special Exam ended.

Although Class 1-A did not get over 200 points as hoped during the Deserted Island Exam, the other classes performed even worse, which led them to achieve second place.

Achieving second place in the entire grade, while not great, could be considered decent.

Coupled with having endured for seven days during the Deserted Island Exam, Honami and the others felt it necessary to specifically hold an appreciation party to reward everyone for their hard work and endurance during the exam.

"I can somewhat understand how Class 1-D feels."

Tasting the complimentary food provided in the luxury cruise ship restaurant, Watanabe Norihito slightly curled his lips and said with a smile, "After enduring for so long, eating such delicious food is truly a happy thing."

The poverty of Class 1-D students was known to the entire school. Except for receiving 100,000 points in the first month, Class 1-D students had not received any points at other times. Even those who were frugal had to eat the wild vegetable set meals provided by the cafeteria.

Class 1-D students had eaten these unappetizing wild vegetable set meals for a whole half semester. But Class 1-A students had only endured it for seven days and were already finding it unbearable.

Takada Hikaru said with a light laugh, "Norihito, it's best not to let the girls hear you. Otherwise, you'll be scolded quite severely."

During the Deserted Island Exam, the boys were responsible for going out to gather ingredients, while the girls stayed in the camp to cook.

Watanabe Norihito complaining that the food wasn't good was effectively saying that the girls didn't do a good job. Although that wasn't his intention, it would certainly feel unpleasant if heard by others.

"It's already too late."

Amikura Mako darted over from the side, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, and she said with some anger, "Watanabe-kun, do you have any dissatisfaction with the food I cooked?"

"Ah, this... Amikura-san, that's not what I meant." Watanabe Norihito immediately realized he had misspoken, and cold sweat kept breaking out on his face.

Amikura Mako said with her face slightly puffed up, "Anyway, what you meant behind my back must be that my cooking skills are nowhere near a professional chef's, and the food I made wasn't tasty, right? I'm really sorry for making you endure unappetizing food for seven days."

"This, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean that..."

Looking at the angry girl, Watanabe Norihito wished he could slap himself twice. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have said such things.

"Mako, stop teasing Norihito."

Takada Hikaru watched their farce with a light laugh. "If I recall correctly, you didn't actually cook in the camp, right?"

Although the task of cooking fell to the girls, not all girls knew how to cook, and not all girls who knew how to cook dared to show their skills in front of others. Whether because she couldn't or didn't dare, in Takada Hikaru's impression, Amikura Mako had never cooked.

"Uh..."

Being called out by Takada Hikaru, Amikura Mako's eyes couldn't help but dart elsewhere, revealing a guilty expression.

"You found me out, Takada-san."

She was indeed faking it, it was just to scare Watanabe Norihito. The final result did not disappoint her, Watanabe Norihito had indeed mistaken her for one of the camp's cooks and was nearly scared out of his wits.

Amikura Mako put her hands together. "I'm sorry, Watanabe-kun. I just wanted to play a joke on you."

Watanabe Norihito lowered his head, scratching his hair embarrassedly. "I should be the one apologizing. I really shouldn't have said that just now. It's disrespectful to those who worked hard cooking in the camp."

"Luckily, they didn't hear it." Watanabe Norihito breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"No, someone has already heard it." Takada Hikaru said with a light laugh, looking at the short-haired girl beside him who hadn't spoken.

Andō Sayo felt a bit embarrassed under his gaze, scratched her cheek, and said, "I was actually in the cooking group during the exam, you know."

"I'm so sorry."

Watanabe Norihito seemed to be possessed by Katsuragi Kōhei, only capable of apologizing incessantly.

"It's okay... at least it's okay with me." Andō Sayo made a downward pressing motion with her hand, signaling him not to be too anxious.

"Although I know how to cook, it's only at a level that barely fills one's stomach. It's normal for people to say it's not tasty."

She participated in a sports club at school, so her food intake was larger than an average person's. But as a girl, she didn't want others to see her eating too much. So she could only secretly cook some food in her dormitory to supplement her meals. As for the taste, as long as it was edible, it was fine.

Takada Hikaru said, "I actually think the food you make is quite delicious."

Andō Sayo waved her hand with a smile. "Takada-san, don't comfort me like that. I know my own level."

She felt he was just offering polite comfort. There were so many people cooking in the camp at that time, he probably didn't even know who made which dish.

Takada Hikaru said with a light laugh, "That just means your cooking suits my taste. I quite like the fish you made."

"Eh?" Andō Sayo was slightly stunned, her eyes wavering.

She had indeed prepared some fish dishes while in the camp.

In other words, he wasn't just comforting her?

After the appreciation party ended, Takada Hikaru and the others returned to their dormitory.

Just as they were about to return to their room, they saw a girl with long black hair standing at the door.

Noticing someone approaching, Horikita Suzune turned her head, then walked towards Takada Hikaru and the others.

Horikita Suzune's eyes narrowed slightly, her face serious. "Takada-san, could I borrow some of your time? I want to talk to you about cooperation."

(End of Chapter)

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