Even though Izuru's mind was busy grumbling about Yukino, he chose to remain rational and avoided questioning her directly. This allowed the classroom atmosphere to settle into a brief, peaceful lull.
The room was relatively quiet. Aside from a few students who couldn't stop chatting and the ambitious types focused on their books, the rest were either slumped over as "salted fish" or... well, still being salted fish.
However, what must come will eventually arrive. Only a few minutes later, the bell—a sickening sound for many—rang once again. The students who had been face-down on their desks let out long sighs, but they had no choice but to rise listlessly. Some left in groups, others alone, all preparing to head toward "cooking class."
"Cooking class, huh?"
To be precise, this was "Home Economics." It was a specific curriculum in this country aimed at young people who were beginning to lose their domestic skills due to parental overprotection. Essentially, it was a class that taught students how to prepare common, everyday dishes.
Regardless, it was a school subject. Not only did it provide a fully equipped kitchen, but it also operated on a credit-based grading system.
However, Izuru could only shake his head with a bitter smile. He couldn't cook to save his life. If forced to do so, the result could only be described as "Super High School Level Dark Matter." He didn't know if it was edible, but he knew for certain whether it was lethal or not.
{Maybe I should just skip?}
Izuru was weighing the thought when, a moment later, Itsuki—standing right beside him—asked at the most inconvenient time.
"President, let's go to the home ec room together."
"Eh, Itsuki, did you know? I can't cook," Izuru replied with a wry smile.
"So what? Neither can I!" Itsuki shot back with a hint of pride in her voice.
{Why on earth are you proud of that? If you can't cook, why are you so eager to join the fray? Are you not satisfied unless you've whipped up some demonic concoction to poison people?}
Izuru wanted to refuse, but Itsuki's next sentence completely shut down his intentions.
"Anyone, no matter how much talent they possess, starts from a place of 'not being able to.' If someone gives up simply because they feel incapable, then they will be trapped in that state of 'not being able' forever!"
As she said this, Itsuki wore a smile filled with both nostalgia and confidence, leaving Izuru momentarily stunned.
{Itsuki can actually drop lines with this much philosophical depth? Wait... don't tell me this is another Lu Xun quote? No wonder the style feels so familiar.}
Whether it was a Lu Xun quote or not, the logic and depth behind the statement were undeniably true. At least, that's what Izuru thought. Yet, for some reason, he sensed a profound trace of "malice" behind those words—as if it were a line he was destined to say in the future, only for her to steal it and use it on him first.
{Is it just my imagination? It feels like ever since I met the Nakano quintuplets, Yukino, and even Kaguya, I keep experiencing these 'three great illusions of life.'}
Suppressing his inner doubts, Izuru nodded outwardly and said, "Good point. Fine, let's go to the kitchen."
Then, as if remembering something, he turned toward Yukino, who seemed to be watching the two of them. He asked with a testing tone:
"Um, Hirano, would you like to join us?"
"If you change that idiotic name, I might consider it."
Yukino knit her beautiful brows in displeasure, but she didn't show any major signs of rejection. She continued:
"Although cooking is usually a solitary endeavor, cooking class is different. Depending on the teacher and the need to save time, students are usually asked to form groups. I have no intention of joining anyone else, so I will reluctantly join the two of you. This is merely to prevent two 'cooking idiots' like yourselves from wasting ingredients, and to prevent any unforeseen danger to the students or teachers who will have to taste it later."
{Basically, you don't have any other friends to group up with, so you're forced to accept our invitation to avoid embarrassment, right? Acting all haughty and talking in circles—you really are a tsundere.}
Indeed, Izuru desperately wanted to say that out loud.
But Yukino "coincidentally" cut him off first. "Since the decision to go together has been made, why are you two still standing there like fools? The lesson started a while ago; almost all the other students have left. Let's hurry."
Izuru, having failed to launch his usual verbal jab, felt a twinge of annoyance. He scratched his cheek awkwardly while glancing around the room. Sure enough, besides the three of them, there was almost no one left.
As for the people who had already filtered out, it wasn't clear if any of them were also non-cooks planning to just "ride the coattails" of their groupmates.
"Right, let's move!"
Despite not knowing what Izuru had almost said, and despite her secret reservations about Yukino joining, Itsuki nodded in agreement. After all, Izuru was the one who invited her, so she felt it would be improper to refuse or complain.
Furthermore, Itsuki was well aware that both she and Izuru were the types of people who were practically shunned by food itself due to their incompetence in the kitchen. One could even say they were on a terrifying level. Now, with a "Cooking Master" like Yukino joining them, things were looking much brighter.
"By the way, Hirano, what is cooking class actually like? What do we usually learn?"
As if suddenly curious, Izuru asked as he led the way out of the classroom, followed by Yukino.
"You don't know? Isn't this a subject taught from elementary through high school? Did you skip all of them?"
Yukino replied with a tone of both surprise and disdain.
"I didn't skip, but the school where I grew up never had lessons like this."
Izuru having grown up in a different country, spread his arms helplessly as if to say, {The National Exam doesn't test cooking, so why would I study it? The school wouldn't bother providing it anyway.}
"Is that so? Fine, then I shall give you a brief explanation."