Chapter 24: Above A-Class

Qingshan Li continued: "Please give me ten thousand yen."

Laughter came from across, Mikami Ai said: "It changed from 'borrow' to 'give'."

After a brief pause, Mikami Ai said: "Classmate Aoyama, tell me why you need ten thousand yen? Depending on your answer, for example 'play pachinko' or 'buy study materials', my answer will be different."

"I want to make hamburg steak for my older sister and younger sister, but I have no money, I can't afford the materials."

Qingshan Li, who had just died and was rescued midway, roared in his heart—I bought it!

"Okay, but there's a condition, make hamburg steak for me at noon tomorrow too, I want to taste just how delicious the hamburg steak that one would borrow money to make is."

"Transfer the money to..." Qingshan Li reported his card number.

As a poor boy who regularly received government aid—very little, and part of it could only be claimed once—he naturally had his own account.

"Meet at the Yaken Club tomorrow, then go to the Cooking Club. Goodbye." Mikami Ai hung up the phone.

Qingshan Li withdrew ten thousand yen at the nearest convenience store and bought all the materials.

When Ono Mizuki got home, the A-class hamburg steak was on the low table.

"Brother?" she said a little fearfully.

As Dazai Osamu said, poor people are even afraid of hamburg steak.

"You secretly took a part-time job?!" She knelt beside Qingshan Li, grabbing his collar, "Don't you know the school patrols regularly? Once discovered, you'll really be expelled!"

"I didn't take a part-time job."

"Then did you become a thief?"

"What image do I have in your heart? Not working part-time means stealing things?" Qingshan Li said.

"Where exactly did these things come from?" Ono Mizuki questioned.

"This afternoon there was Home Economics, I discovered I have a talent for making hamburg steak, probably, like falling asleep on the train but always waking up at the crucial moment—so, I took out all my secret money, for you, for Ono Mihana, made hamburg steak."

"Secret money?" Ono Mizuki's hand gripping his collar tightened.

"It's already past tense, all turned into hamburg steak." Qingshan Li made a gesture of invitation.

Ono Mizuki finally relaxed; she trusted Qingshan Li to some extent, even though he hid secret money.

Once fear disappeared, the aroma of hamburg steak immediately captured her.

"Gur~~" Her flat stomach made a sound.

Ono Mizuki didn't care at all; between her and Qingshan Li, this wouldn't be awkward at all.

"I'm going to wash my hands!"

"I finished mine, can I have yours?"

—Hamburg steak is just that delicious, not only eaten quickly, but also wanting more.

While washing dishes, Ono Mizuki was reluctant to part with them, even though she had already eaten the plates clean.

"Brother, with your skills, opening a hamburg steak shop will definitely make money!" While opening "Math I", she said.

"No." Qingshan Li solved problems while answering without raising his head, "Opening a hamburg steak shop can make money, but money is not my goal."

"You're not studying to make money?" Ono Mizuki acted as if it was natural that she studied to make money.

"Of course not." Qingshan Li turned a page of the exercise book.

"Then what is your goal?"

"To become a real man."

"Ugh, you're disgusting." Ono Mizuki couldn't stand it and started studying.

It was as if Qingshan Li had just said, "I don't want to be a virgin anymore, please, just this once, Miyuki!"

Ono Mizuki hummed a song from the Choir Club.

Her mood was not bad.

Qingshan Li's pencil tip lightly tapped the exercise book.

He decided to occasionally let the system make a meal, clean once, and make Ono Mika and Ono Mizuki happy.

Spending energy and time on studying or material collection would of course make more money, and money is of course important, but living only for money is putting the cart before the horse.

Money is just one way of happiness.

If cooking can also do it, why can't Qingshan Li occasionally make a meal?

What is a real man?

Qingshan Li isn't very clear either, but at least, his life goal won't just be money.

In the evening, after Ono Mika returned, Qingshan Li, in front of both of them, had the system make hamburg steak.

Neither of them disturbed him, so no kidnapping incident occurred.

"My apologies for the poor hospitality!" Qingshan Li took back control.

"It looks good!" Ono Mika couldn't help but say, "I'm digging in!"

She took a bite.

"How is it?" Ono Mizuki asked expectantly, as if she had made it herself.

Ono Mika savored it.

Then she let out a light sigh and said: "Actually I'm a little angry, Ryo-kun doing this is of course out of kindness, but wasting money on hamburg steak, he might also spend money on other things, but—"

"The hamburg steak Ryo-kun made is a delicious taste that makes you want to share with family after eating, no one can resist this impulse."

The highest level of praise.

"Before the seasoning runs out, we have to eat hamburg steak every day, can't waste it." Qingshan Li laughed, "Except for the seasoning, the money to buy hamburg steak alone, meal expenses are probably around 800 yen per day."

"Great!" Ono Mizuki cheered.

"Are you happy because you don't have to cook?" Qingshan Li teased.

"Of course!"

"Really not because of the Hamburg Steak?"

Ono Mizuki raised her fist.

"All right." Ono Mika smiled gently, like a warm spring breeze, "The three of us will share it."

"We've already eaten."

"Sis, you eat."

"Hamburg Steak is delicious, but the Hamburg Steak shared with you all tastes even better. I'm greedy—I want to eat something even tastier."

One Hamburg Steak, shared by three people.

【Campus Mystery, Main Ability is Beauty: 92.1%】

【Fitness: 26%】

【Campus Romance Daily Life: 69%】

【National Competition: 14%】

It wasn't that there was anything specific to gather material from; I just understood some principles.

——System, you're something else.

Even Qingshan Li, who had never cooked before, knew that if he used only his previous ingredients, he couldn't make such delicious Hamburg Steak.

Life isn't a game, but it often feels like one—for example, this time—perhaps only when the taste of the Hamburg Steak reaches a certain degree can the scene of "three people sharing a Hamburg Steak" be unlocked.

After making so many meals of Hamburg Steak, just in case, before going to sleep at night, Qingshan Li studied on his own and gave the System a break.

Thursday, Qingshan Li woke up at four o'clock.

After confirming his cold was gone.

——System, stop sleeping, get me to train!

Qingshan Li didn't need to say it too clearly; the System understood his meaning: guiding "Body" in the room.

【Begin guiding "Body"】

Squats, push-ups, leg tucks, one Bopi Tiao;

Two Bopi Tiao, three Bopi Tiao

By the end, Qingshan Li's legs were shaking, and seventy percent of the muscles in his whole body were heating up.

The System started slapping and massaging him, but even so, Qingshan Li felt his legs were still a bit soft.

At noon, he came to the Athens Philosophy Research Club, preparing to go to the Home Economics Classroom with Mikami Ai.

"Classmate Aoyama, hasn't your cold gotten better yet?"

"It's better, thank you for your concern."

"Then why is your complexion still so pale? Your legs seem to be slightly trembling? Never mind, I don't care about your private affairs."

Qingshan Li inhaled, exhaled.

"Because of the cold, I realized my body's weakness, so I started training this morning," he explained calmly.

"Training until your complexion is pale and your legs are shaking?"

"I'm the kind of person who, once I determine a direction, can't see anything else," Qingshan Li said.

He felt he was a real man.

"I'll lend you some money, no, give you some money; take it to get your eyesight checked. I don't know what illness having such a narrow field of vision is, I'm curious."

Obviously, Mikami Ai thought he had an eye disease.

"You"

"Just joking." Mikami Ai laughed, "To me, you're like merchandise selected in a mall but not yet paid for—anyway is fine. Let's go—a cook-off with the Cooking Club."

Wait?

What cook-off?

Does this count as an exam?

Qingshan Li recalled the System's competition mode with an extremely high death rate.

Sorry, I forgot the time while fixing typos!

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(Chapter End)