Chapter 978: Mooching a Meal

"Erina-sama, you're so high and mighty—"

Hisako Arato offered a compliment, but then the girl remembered that her Big Sister and she did not live in the Student Dormitory at Totsuki Academy, but rather in a mountain-top villa complex similar to a home; did she really have to arrange for Broly to live under her own eyelids, or even arrange for him to move into her and Big Sister's residence?

Just as Hisako Arato was troubled over how to arrange things, when Broly moved into Polar Star Dormitory after failing the cooking assessment and having no place to stay, the Saiyan boy had already thrown two bowls of ramen into the Crystal Palace Space, took off from the spot, and flew toward the direction of Polar Star Dormitory.

A distance of several kilometers; this time it did not pass in a flash. Broly, in the sky midway, saw Soma Yukihira trudging toward the direction of Polar Star Dormitory, carrying big and small bags.

As a practical chef of the Roof Restaurant, the boy's stamina was decent, but he had too much luggage and the road was far, so he was huffing and puffing as he walked below.

"Why is a Student Dormitory so far from the Teaching Building? How much longer do I have to walk? I don't know how Broly-san is doing now—"

Soma Yukihira had just finished class in the morning, and after coming out, he couldn't find Broly. He wasn't worried about Broly's safety; given Broly's strong physique, if something happened, it would be others who were unsafe. So he wandered around Totsuki Academy.

Until half an hour ago, when he remembered he still didn't know where the dormitory was, so he went to the place where luggage was stored to get his luggage, and asked about the dormitory arrangements along the way.

After asking, he walked all the way to now. Soma Yukihira greatly missed having a reliable big brother beside him to help carry his luggage.

Seeing Soma Yukihira, Broly's figure paused in mid-air. Finding that the boy was only one or two kilometers from Polar Star Dormitory, he didn't land to lend a hand, but secretly squeezed out a vitality-restoring energy ball and threw it at Soma Yukihira, then flew away directly.

When he returned to Polar Star Dormitory, Polar Star Dormitory had gained some unfamiliar auras; the students living here had obviously returned.

"Auntie Fumio, Miss Tadokoro, I'm back."

Megumi Tadokoro was sitting in the restaurant on the first floor when she suddenly heard a familiar voice at the Entrance.

"Mr. Broly, you're finally back, ah, this is—"

A girl wearing little rabbit slippers ran out to welcome him, only to find Broly returning carrying two steaming large bowls.

"This is the ramen I promised to make for you. Hurry and take it inside to eat; once it cools, the taste won't be good."

Broly directly handed a steaming hot bowl of ramen to the braided girl.

The pork bone ramen, made not long ago, was full of aroma, but Megumi Tadokoro's expression was somewhat worried.

"What's wrong?"

Broly saw that hint of worry and couldn't help but ask her.

"Your noodles won't have already clumped, right?"

"No, what's wrong?"

"?!"

Hearing this, the girl was a little surprised, then looked into the large bowl. After discovering the ramen inside really hadn't clumped, she hurriedly ran into the dormitory shouting: "Auntie Fumio, come quickly, Mr. Broly's ramen is here!"

"In such a rush, can't you let me dry my hair first?"

Fumio Daimido had just finished washing her hair and was blow-drying it when she was pulled by the running Megumi Tadokoro. The girl pulled her toward the restaurant, making her somewhat dissatisfied.

"No, because the noodles Mr. Broly brought back are already cooked. If we wait for you to slowly blow-dry your hair, the noodles might clump."

Megumi Tadokoro seemed even more anxious than Broly.

", he brought cooked ramen, Komekko, you're serious? Didn't it clump long ago?"

"It hasn't clumped; it looks just like it was just cooked. But who knows what it'll be like after a while. So, we need Auntie Fumio to go taste it quickly."

"You're so anxious and protective for that kid!"

Fumio Daimido's words made Megumi Tadokoro's cheeks turn slightly red.

"Auntie Fumio, please don't joke with me like this. I just don't want to see Mr. Broly have nowhere to stay tonight."

Megumi Tadokoro defended her anxious behavior.

"Yes, yes, I know you love to worry about others."

Fumio Daimido stopped teasing the girl, sped up her steps, and went from being pulled by Megumi Tadokoro to walking in front of her.

She had already smelled the rich pork bone soup aroma drifting in the air, which was a temptation for her, who had just finished bathing and was ready to eat.

Fumio Daimido entered the restaurant and immediately saw Broly. Her gaze quickly locked onto the two bowls of ramen on the table.

【The ramen really doesn't look clumped, but how was this done? I don't see any signs of fire in the kitchen—】

Fumio Daimido was doubtful in her heart, but compared to clearing up her doubts, tasting the tempting ramen on the table right now was more important.

This dormitory auntie didn't waste a word. She had Megumi Tadokoro get chopsticks and a spoon, then pulled out a chair and sat at the dining table.

front.

"I'm digging in!"

Megumi Tadokoro and Fumio Daimido ate together, and their behavior was remarkably consistent: both used a spoon to taste the soup first, then used chopsticks to pick up noodles and eat.

"This soup has a rich bone aroma without impurities, fresh and sweet but not abrupt."

"These noodles are springy to the point of being toothsome. They're actually handmade noodles, not machine-made ramen."

The two bowls of ramen were not small in quantity, but from starting to finish, the two of them only used five minutes.

"So delicious~"

Megumi Tadokoro finished the last sip of soup, put down the empty bowl, and a look of satisfaction appeared on her face.

"Excellent, much better than the taste of some ramen shops that can become chain stores."

Fumio Daimido gave her own evaluation.

"Then. Auntie Fumio, Broly passed?!"

Megumi Tadokoro asked somewhat happily.

"Mm, the premise is that he can prove these two bowls of ramen were made by his own hands."

Fumio Daimido nodded, then looked at Broly, wanting to know how this sturdy boy planned to prove this.

Then, she saw Broly take out his phone from his pocket.

"I see. Did you record a video while making the ramen? In that case, it can prove it. But just recording a video of cooking the noodles won't do. You need to have the videos of simmering the pork bone soup and making the handmade ramen together—"

Before she finished speaking, Fumio Daimido saw on the lit phone screen a beautiful girl holding ramen appear.

", Nakiri Erina?!"

Megumi Tadokoro also saw it and immediately exclaimed.

"Started recording?"

Yet the video that played on, regardless of how the viewer reacted, simply played on by itself.

"I am Nakiri Erina, one of the Totsuki Ten. I am here to vouch to the Polar Star Dormitory matron that this bowl of ramen in my hand was made by Broly."

Whether it was simmering the soup or making the ramen, it was all done before me. During that time, apart from us suggesting a few modifications to the pork bone soup, no one else interfered with the cooking process.

"Hmm, is that enough?"

"That's fine, Miss Nakiri. Thank you for vouching for me."

"No problem, the ramen is yours—"

The image froze at the moment the girl handed the ramen to the cameraman; there was no ramen-making process shown throughout.

"Sorry, Auntie Fumio. While making the ramen, my phone was taken away to be checked, so I forgot to film it. I don't know if this can serve as proof?"

"Normally it wouldn't prove anything, but you've had the youngest of the Totsuki Ten, the little princess of the Nakiri Family, film a video specifically to vouch for you. How could I not believe you?"

The Totsuki Ten still carried persuasive weight. More importantly, Fumio Daimido didn't think Broly could possibly get the Nakiri Family's princess to cooperate in filming a fake video to deceive her.

"Of course. But if I find out you're faking it, don't blame me for kicking you out of Polar Star Dormitory."

However, this matronly old auntie still added a caveat.

"Hmm, I agree."

"Then what's your dorm number—"

"Auntie Fumio, I hope to stay somewhere close to Miss Tadokoro."

Broly hurriedly stated his request.

"?!"

Beside him, Tadokoro Megumi widened her eyes and looked over, her expression somewhat shocked.

"Kid, Polar Star Dormitory may be co-ed, but it's not to the extent of allowing men and women to share a room."

Fumio Daimido narrowed her eyes and said.

"I didn't say I wanted to stay in the same dorm. As long as it's nearby, it's fine."

"Alright then. Dormitory 301 next to her room is vacant. You can stay there."

Fumio Daimido brought over the keys and handed them over.

"Miss Tadokoro, from now on we'll be neighbors. Please take care of me."

After taking the keys, Broly took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Tadokoro Megumi.

"Uh, hmm—"

Tadokoro Megumi lowered her head, gave an awkward reply, her cheeks blushing, not knowing what she was thinking.

"By the way, Room 301 hasn't been cleaned yet. Remember to tidy it up before moving in."

The departing matron poked her head in at the front door again to remind him.

"Ah, Mr. Broly, I'll go tidy your room right away."

Tadokoro Megumi snapped back to her senses, like a startled rabbit, and went around the boy up the stairs.

"You're putting yourself out too much."

Broly followed behind at a leisurely pace and said to the girl ahead.

"It's no trouble. Didn't you help me carry my luggage over here at noon? By the way, Mr. Broly, where is your luggage?"

"Right here."

Broly casually took out a small backpack from the Crystal Palace Space; compared to his build, it was like a shoulder bag.

", Mr. Broly, you only brought this much luggage?"

Tadokoro Megumi turned around, saw the backpack in his hand, and asked somewhat surprised.

"Well, having a change of clothes is enough. If I need anything else, I can get it later."

【By the way, besides the ramen just now, Mr. Broly, did you bring anything else?】

Tadokoro Megumi was somewhat puzzled, but could only attribute it to her own oversight.

"Mr. Broly is indeed a man. A girl like me can't just bring a change of clothes."

【Like sanitary pads, those are definitely essential.】

"Say, isn't it a bit distant for us to address each other with honorifics? Since we'll be neighbors from now on, why don't we just call each other by our names?"

Broly suggested.

"Ah, this—"

The girl's body trembled, and she became somewhat stiff.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem with calling each other by name?"

Broly asked.

"I think calling each other by name is a bit too fast. After all, we only just met today—"

Tadokoro Megumi was somewhat nervous.

If it were just normally calling each other by name, she probably wouldn't think too much of it.

But just now Broly had clearly stated he wanted to stay close to her dorm.

This inevitably led the girl to start random thoughts.

"Then let me learn from Auntie Fumio and call you Komekko. How does that sound?"

"Um, may I ask your age?"

"I'm almost 17."

"Then you're one year older than me."

Tadokoro Megumi didn't reject being called Komekko by someone older than herself.

"Then I'll call you Broly-san?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

The two arrived at the third floor; Dormitory 301 was right next to Tadokoro Megumi's dormitory.

Opening the door and turning on the light, they saw a room covered in some dust.

"I'll go get a rag and a bucket—"

Tadokoro Megumi said as she went to the third-floor restroom to get cleaning tools.

"I'll carry the water bucket."

Broly followed her, with no thought of summoning a Water Elemental.

Not long after, the two entered the room together, one holding a rag and broom, the other carrying a bucket filled with water.

Tadokoro Megumi first swept the floor once, then began wiping with a damp rag; Broly also helped by squatting down to wipe the floor.

After the floor was wiped, they wiped the tabletop and such; during this they changed two buckets of water, and the two cleaning together were highly efficient. Plus, the dormitory room wasn't large, so they soon finished cleaning up.

"Broly-san, you're very good at taking care of people, right?"

Turning on the air conditioner to speed up the room's drying, Tadokoro Megumi suddenly asked.

"Why do you say that?"

Broly looked at her curiously.

"Because you clean very neatly; the places you've wiped don't need me to wipe again, which shows you're quite careful in doing things."

"Also, when you wiped the floor, you wiped the hard-to-clean corners first, leaving me only the simple parts."

"So I vaguely had this feeling, I just don't know if it's accurate."

Tadokoro Megumi spoke honestly.

"Then it should be accurate; I am indeed quite good at taking care of girls like Younger Sister Komekko."

Broly nodded in admission.

", Broly-san, do you have a younger sister around my age?"

Tadokoro Megumi asked curiously.

"Yeah, I have quite a few; they're all my family."

"By the way, Komekko, I know a massage technique that can relieve fatigue with one hand. Want to try it?"

Broly raised his hand to make a shoulder-pressing motion, then invited the girl to get up.

"Ah, I'm not tired today; I'm going to take a bath."

Tadokoro Megumi quickly refused and ran out.

"That's truly a pity—"

Broly felt some regret, but didn't say that he also knew a superb bath-scrubbing technique.

Tadokoro Megumi was clearly the type of girl who was slow to warm up and shy.

The capture difficulty wasn't high; it just had to be taken step by step, and absolutely couldn't be rushed.

Tadokoro Megumi took her change of clothes to bathe, while Broly felt a familiar aura approaching Polar Star Dormitory.

"Finally here."

Soma Yukihira arrived at the front door of Polar Star Dormitory panting, just about to knock when the door opened a step ahead.

"Soma-kun, you're here."

The person who opened the door was none other than Broly.

", Broly-san, you live here too?"

Soma Yukihira was a bit stunned, then asked.

"Yeah, let me take your things."

"Uh, thank you for the trouble."

"No trouble, but you might need to face the assessment for moving in here."

", What do you mean?"

"It means that you, this kid who wants to move into Polar Star Dormitory, must make a dish that satisfies me before you can move"

"in."

Fumio Daimido walked over, not stopping Broly from carrying his luggage inside, but blocking Soma Yukihira at the entrance.

"Hah, it's just making tasty food; I guarantee I'll make delicious food that you won't be able to stop eating!"

Upon hearing it was cooking, Soma Yukihira immediately perked up; he was indeed a true cook with soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and oil flowing in his blood.

"Ingredients need to be prepared by yourself."

"Ah?"

"Of course, if you think the rice, flour, grains, and oil stored in the kitchen—these basic ingredients—can do it, then you can ignore this condition."

Soma Yukihira was taken to the public kitchen of Polar Star Dormitory; seeing that there weren't many ingredients left inside, he fell into silence.

"If you lack confidence, I can allow you to sleep on a futon at the front door of Polar Star Dormitory tonight, and after purchasing ingredients tomorrow, conduct the cooking assessment for moving in."

"Hah, it's just making delicious food with limited ingredients; do I lack confidence? No kidding, I'm super confident—I already know what to do!"

Broly looked at the red-haired boy whose aura suddenly surged in the kitchen, and couldn't help but look forward to the dish Soma Yukihira would make.

Therefore, after Soma Yukihira finished cooking, the Polar Star Dormitory judging panel gained one more person.

", Broly-san, you want to eat too?"

"Well, I haven't had dinner yet tonight."

"Fine, anyway this is just trying out craftsmanship and tasting flavors; it didn't say one must be full, so I'll give you half of my entry dish."

Rice, half of what looked like pan-fried hamburger meat, and a bowl of clear egg drop soup were served before Broly.

"Blue Fish Burger Egg Flower Soup Rice Set Meal, please enjoy your meal!"