Lunch break finally arrived.
The tense atmosphere in the classroom melted away as students stretched, laughed, and casually made their way toward the cafeteria.
Some unpacked homemade lunches, while others hurried off to buy food.
Markara was about to approach Thida, wanting to catch up with her properly this time but once again, she vanished the moment the bell rang, slipping out of the classroom like a shadow.
He could only stand there, blinking in disbelief.
"Let's go!"
Mei called out from the doorway, already halfway into the hallway.
"Roger that!"
Markara quickly followed her, matching her pace.
After a short walk, they arrived at the cafeteria—
And Markara stopped in awe.
The place was massive and modern, more like a shopping mall food court than a regular school cafeteria.
Rows of sleek self-service kiosks lined the walls, each one flashing bright images of different cuisines, from Asian dishes to Western meals.
Students crowded around the machines, tapping their orders, while others, even faster, casually grabbed their meals from a pickup counter, having ordered ahead through the school app.
It was bustling and loud.
"Have you deposited money into the app yet?"
Mei asked, pulling out her phone and waving it lightly in the air.
"Deposit?"
Markara blinked, confused, as he glanced around.
He noticed students casually scanning their phones at the kiosks to buy food.
Panic creeping in, he quickly pulled out his phone.
Sure enough, there was an app already installed most likely by Akari
He tapped it open, eyes darting across the screen.
At the top, a small icon showed a balance, and to his shock, there was already money loaded inside.
"10 P?"
Markara muttered, staring at the number at the top of the app.
"What?!"
Mei leaned in, her eyes widening as she tilted her head to peek at his screen.
"Only 10 P? You'll barely be able to get the cheapest meal here!"
"Hmm… how much is 10 P exactly?"
Markara asked, scratching his head. "Someone set up the account for me, so I have no idea."
Mei puffed out her cheeks like she couldn't believe it.
"It's about fifteen dollars in USD. The school uses its own point system, that's why."
She paused and straightened up.
"You know, in this academy," Mei said, raising a finger like a teacher, "you can earn points by doing well in school — like getting high grades, winning competitions, and stuff like that."
Markara's eyes lit up the moment he heard it.
"But," Mei continued with a shrug, "the fastest way to rack up points is by completing club activity tasks."
Markara's interest grew even more.
'Clubs, huh… maybe I can find one that suits me!'
"Anyway," she added with a small laugh, "you can also just deposit real money to buy points. So, for most students here, it's kind of pointless."
She gave a wry smile.
"Most students at Seigetsu come from rich families anyway, so... yeah."
What Mei said was correct — but for Markara, it was a different story.
He didn't come from a rich family.
The little money he had was carefully saved for emergencies, not for luxuries.
Still, Mei gave him a bright, encouraging smile.
"Ah, it's all right. You can always refill your tray after you buy it," she said casually, like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Really?!"
Markara's face lit up immediately, his mood lifting in an instant.
After picking out their meals at the kiosk, the two made their way to an empty table in the center of the cafeteria.
Mei's tray was loaded , a thick A5 Wagyu steak glistening with juice, a pile of golden truffle fries, a bowl of perfectly steamed rice, and a crisp Caesar salad on the side. It looked like a feast straight out of a fancy restaurant.
Meanwhile...
Markara placed his own tray down with a quiet thud.
Compared to Mei's feast, his tray looked almost pitiful: a humble bowl of miso soup, a bowl of steamed rice, and a grilled fish.
The contrast between their trays was almost painful, but it doesn't bother Markara at all as he could alway refill to his fullest.
Just as Markara was about to dig into his meal, his phone buzzed on the table.
He paused, picking it up to check the screen.
It was a message from Akari.
'This will be your daily allowance.
If you want to earn more yourself, I've already arranged a club for you.
After class, someone will come guide you. Okay?'
The message was a bit long, but Markara read through it carefully.
As he was reading, Mei, sitting across from him, leaned over curiously, trying to sneak a peek.
"What's that? Who's texting you?" she asked with a mischievous grin.
Markara instinctively tilted the screen away but chuckled.
"Ah… just someone I know," Markara said, brushing it off with an awkward smile.
Honestly, he didn't even know much about Akari himself.
So, without thinking too much, he blurted out a quick lie.
"It's my sponsor!"
Mei blinked. "Sponsor?"
Markara nodded quickly, trying to sound casual.
"Yeah. Someone who helped arrange everything for me to transfer here."
Mei tilted her head, clearly still confused but curious.
"Wow... must be nice to have someone backing you up," she said, stabbing a piece of her steak with her fork. "You must be pretty special."
As the two were eating, the buzzing noise of gossip started rising from the nearby tables.
"Mei's with another boy?"
"I heard he's a transfer student."
"Is she gonna trick him again?"
The whispers weren't even subtle.
More and more students were glancing over at their table, their stares practically drilling holes into them.
Markara noticed it immediately.
He could see Mei's face tighten, her usual bright smile fading.
She kept her head down, pretending to focus on her food, but her fork moved a little too quickly, like she was forcing herself to act normal.
The atmosphere around them grew heavier.
Markara frowned slightly, shifting his eyes between Mei and the gossiping crowd.
"Oh.. is this your new boyfriend ?" A group of 5 people with a boy and a girl came to their seats. One of the girls spoke out as she glanced at Markara.
"No... he's not," Mei said sharply, her brows furrowed as she glared at the group.
The girl who had spoken first crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow.
"Hmm… I just don't want you creating another backlash... something that could hurt Wei's reputation," she said coolly.
Markara, sensing the tension rising, stood up from his seat before Mei could say anything else.
"Um, sorry to interrupt," he said, trying to keep his voice steady but polite. "But Mei's just helping me today. There's nothing going on between us. It's all a misunderstanding."
The nearby students went quiet, looking between him and Mei.
As the tension crackled in the air, another figure slipped quietly.
"Please, stop."
His voice was soft.
Everyone turned.
Step by step, the boy made his way into the center of the group, his presence steady.
"... Mr. Tsuchimikado"
Mei muttered out her face was brightened up.
The name alone was enough to freeze the room.
Even the group of bullies, so loud and arrogant a moment ago, fell silent, their faces paling slightly.
Markara didn't move.
He barely knew anything about this boy, or anyone else in this new school.
So instead, he lowered his gaze and quietly sat down, choosing to observe in silence.