Yuri set the tray down with a clatter that was slightly louder than he intended. His pulse was acting like a Janjan engine in a rainstorm—unreliable and racing for no reason.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLu8cAGRGj
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"Ginger pork, large rice, and gyoza," he announced, his voice gruff.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBs2XLXVP49
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He waited for the "St. Cerasus reaction." Usually, girls from that school picked at their food with silver forks, whispering about calories or the "unrefined" atmosphere of a family diner.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhbu6l0reX
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Selina, however, looked like she had just been handed a trophy.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡblGbsXIWDH
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"It looks... beautiful," she whispered. She picked up her chopsticks, performed a quick, enthusiastic “Itadakimasu!” and dove in.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdllIow3hr
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Yuri didn't leave. He found himself rooted to the spot, ostensibly to "wipe down the counter," but really, he was watching her. She took a bite of the pork, her eyes fluttering shut. A soft, genuine hum of delight escaped her.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3P7TgaYorw
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"This is it," she mumbled through a mouthful of rice. "This is exactly the flavor."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4lAztnBsh
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Yuri paused his cleaning. "Exactly what flavor? It’s just standard ginger sauce. My old man’s recipe."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTCuOMtBBl
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Selina swallowed and looked up at him. There was no fear in her gaze—only a piercing, bright sincerity that made Yuri want to look away and stare forever at the same time. "It’s the flavor of someone who cares. You can tell when a chef is just cooking for a paycheck and when they’re cooking because they want someone to feel better."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vNw1Ql11T
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Yuri felt a sharp pang in his chest. Cooking because I want someone to feel better? He hadn't thought about it like that. He just did it because it was the only place he felt he wasn't being stared at.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzIBlQa5in3
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"You’re weird," Yuri muttered, though the edge was gone from his voice.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4eciLlTGE
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"I get that a lot!" Selina laughed, reaching for a gyoza. "But I have a very good memory for things that matter. Especially people."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvYFZXBsC5V
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She paused, her chopsticks mid-air. She leaned in a little closer, squinting at Yuri’s face. The sunlight from the window caught the violet in his hair, making it glow like a neon sign.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0SOseiy27
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"You know, Yuri... have you always lived in this district?"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYy4X37RgqD
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Yuri stiffened. "No. We moved away for a few years when I was in elementary school. Came back for middle school. Why?"89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLfEMvrMP0k
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Selina’s smile softened into something nostalgic, something private. "I used to have a friend when I was really little. Well, I thought of him as a friend. Most people thought of him as a 'troublemaker.' He had eyes just like yours. Very intense. Very... brave."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIxT2nluTj
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Yuri’s heart did a slow, heavy thud. He remembered the preschool sandbox. He remembered a group of older kids pushing a girl down because she had a "fancy" ribbon in her hair. He remembered the red mist of anger that had stayed in his vision even after he’d chased them away.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZgGtgCOdB9
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"I don't remember much from back then," Yuri lied, his voice cracking slightly. "I was a brat. Probably the kind of kid your parents told you to run away from."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWutkkLD7Zq
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Selina didn't flinch. She just took another bite of her rice, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "My parents did tell me that. But I never was very good at listening to people who don't know what they're talking about."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzjV0C6GGyJ
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She finished the entire "large" portion of rice in record time, leaving the plate sparkling clean. She stood up, smoothing out her St. Cerasus blazer, and placed the exact change on the counter.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqNMhEPD3r
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"I'll be back tomorrow, Yuri," she said, waving as she headed for the door.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemRbRmfW9I
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"The daily special is mackerel tomorrow," Yuri called out, his voice sounding more like an invitation than he meant it to. "Most girls from your school hate the smell."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvldwVwenzW
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Selina paused at the door, looking back over her shoulder. The sunset framed her, making her look like a character from a high-budget romance anime.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfapSPzwU3
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"Then it's a good thing I'm not 'most girls,'" she winked. "See you tomorrow, Hero."89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1SZ0Hltyr7
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The door clicked shut. The bell chimed.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYodRo8SeN
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Yuri stood frozen behind the counter. He looked down at the empty plate she had left behind. Hero.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7mcNbs1AA
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Nobody had called him that in fifteen years.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVguyTxCdA
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Across the street, a group of students from his school walked by, loud and rowdy. They saw Yuri through the window and immediately looked away, quickening their pace.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSl1nqt5Gx
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Yuri didn't care. He picked up Selina’s empty plate, a small, barely visible smile finally breaking through the "scary" mask he had worn for a decade.89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJeGHLXefj
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1234 copyright protection85ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jYI1irEGP 尼89Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHFkrD5NW0