Yui's timing was impeccable. She made her move while nearly everyone's attention was buried in their own baking or drifted elsewhere, approaching Izuru like a shadow. It was as if she had predicted his every reflex; she didn't just lock down any sudden movements that might draw a crowd, she teased this stiff, awkward man with a cookie at the exact moment no one was looking!
More importantly, if this were the Yui from Izuru's memories, she would never—not at this point in the timeline—perform such a bold and startling act. Yui's personality right now should still be in that indecisive, "good girl" phase, characterized by her innocent need to please. Such proactive, daring behavior usually didn't surface until the complicated drama of the late-game story.
This only deepened Izuru's sense of unease. Barring some supernatural event or a very specific set of circumstances, they should have been total strangers who had met less than ten minutes ago. He didn't have any "life-saving credits" with her—he hadn't been hit by a luxury car while saving her dog—and just forty minutes ago, they hadn't even exchanged a single word!
So, why the bold, suggestive move? Why would she force-feed and tease a guy she'd just met? What exactly is going on here?
{Has the plot suffered such severe damage that Yui's character has shifted? Or did she fall for me at first sight? Is her starting affection meter already maxed out? No, no, that's too absurd.}
Izuru wasn't a fool. You could entertain such naive thoughts for a second, but taking them seriously was just plain ridiculous.
Narrowing his eyes, Izuru watched Yui as she stealthily retreated to her station. She had resumed her clumsy baking act as if the incident had never happened. After a moment of reflection, Izuru chose to remain silent.
If Itsuki had merely made Izuru suspicious, Yui—thanks to her recent stunt—had officially landed at the top of his "subjects of concern" list.
Between that delicious, professional-grade cookie and the suggestive teasing, everything signaled to Izuru that Yui was harboring a massive secret. And that secret was clearly the reason her persona was so different from the one in his memories.
But what could that secret be?
"Finally, it's done!"
Just as Izuru was about to dive deeper into thought, Itsuki let out a sudden, slightly careless cry of relief. She stretched her body, her incredible curves highlighting her charm in a way that made the other girls in the room grit their teeth, their faces twisting with a mix of dissatisfaction, envy, and spite.
Itsuki, however, seemed oblivious. Even with a few stray crumbs on her face, her first instinct was to beam at Izuru. She spoke cheerfully:
"President, look! I've finished the cookies. Would you like a taste?"
Because of Yui's earlier actions, Izuru now found Itsuki's behavior suspicious as well. A glint flashed in his eyes as he considered his move, before he finally offered a smile.
"Sure, I'll try one."
Itsuki froze. She had mentally braced herself for Izuru's poisonous tongue to bark something like: {You're a Meat-Bun Monster; your cookies probably taste like meat buns. Are you sure these are even edible?} She never expected him to sound... normal. It caught her so off guard that she didn't know how to react. In fact...
"U-um, they might not taste great. Please be understanding, President."
Itsuki's face flushed a deep crimson, and she began to stammer. It wasn't just the shock of a "Normal Izuru" leaving her speechless; it was that... she suddenly found him incredibly cute!
She was used to his sharp tongue, used to the way he could ruin any good mood. But precisely because of that, the moment the poison stopped, the man standing before her transformed into someone else entirely. She couldn't help but think: {The President is actually so gentle and handsome!}
In short, it was a classic case of gap moe. Izuru's sudden cessation of hostility was devastating to an Itsuki whose affection levels were already peaked.
However, that devastation was short-lived.
The only reason Izuru had spoken normally was that he was preoccupied, overanalyzing the suspicious behavior of Yui and Itsuki. He simply didn't have the spare energy for a jab. But after eating the cookie and exiting his "contemplation mode"...
"Good grief, Itsuki, are these poisoned? Why do they taste like meat buns? Don't tell me the 'Meat-Bun Monster' title isn't just about your weight, but a scientific law where everything you cook turns into a meat bun? Is this one of the seven great unsolved mysteries of science?"
"..."
Itsuki's cheek twitched. She stared at Izuru—who had promptly returned to his "seeking death" insanity—with a look of sheer resignation, unsure of what expression to even use in response.
Fortunately, Yui "coincidentally" stepped forward to rescue Itsuki from the awkwardness. "President, don't just eat Itsuki's cookies. Try mine and Yukinon's, too."
Without waiting for Yukino's protest, Yui casually snatched a cookie from Yukino's batch and one from her own, holding them out to Izuru.
Izuru's gaze sharpened. But seeing that Yui had reverted to the personality from his memories, he remained quiet for a beat before popping both cookies into his mouth. As he chewed, he remarked, "Dango's are a bit burnt, and why is this half-salty, half-sweet? Did you not only mistake the salt for sugar, but also sprinkle them on opposite sides? How did you even manage that?"
He paused, then added, "But Hirano's are excellent. Better than the ones in stores, actually."
Then, as if noticing something, Izuru tilted his head in confusion.
"By the way, why are all your cookies heart-shaped? The molds weren't just hearts; why were you all so insistent on using this specific one?"
At his question, Yukino, Yui, and Itsuki all wore identical expressions of utter awkwardness.