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.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipu7q7fPZq
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"Ginger pork, large rice, and gyoza," he announced, his voice gruff.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifUlrNGTyN
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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.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ADfBfU66R
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Selina, however, looked like she had just been handed a trophy.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpiYDPBQZR
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"It looks... beautiful," she whispered. She picked up her chopsticks, performed a quick, enthusiastic “Itadakimasu!” and dove in.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7ELDXvwra
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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.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKdBCG35uU
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"This is it," she mumbled through a mouthful of rice. "This is exactly the flavor."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoSxnd61IV
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Yuri paused his cleaning. "Exactly what flavor? It’s just standard ginger sauce. My old man’s recipe."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpSlPEAsyNH
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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."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGI6bcBdeub
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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.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XaEdHwabL
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"You’re weird," Yuri muttered, though the edge was gone from his voice.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlRHABxo8tj
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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."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4HYz8kCzc
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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.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgx8Z1gvyot
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"You know, Yuri... have you always lived in this district?"123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgqK4zMfHW
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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?"123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1EfIQEOQH5
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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."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwd8LL0AWCL
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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.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSQc409jl7
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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."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8oqg88k5rH
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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."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYvaxfjXZb
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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.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrMyZ7cHCB
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"I'll be back tomorrow, Yuri," she said, waving as she headed for the door.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk5tCPQGCjr
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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."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbm5gLY3YF
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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.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUo3iLYDVSV
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"Then it's a good thing I'm not 'most girls,'" she winked. "See you tomorrow, Hero."123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubNdUPzWG7
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The door clicked shut. The bell chimed.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJEFoCqKHu
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Yuri stood frozen behind the counter. He looked down at the empty plate she had left behind. Hero.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqYla5LrBXb
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Nobody had called him that in fifteen years.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlTHn0zIo8m
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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.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0r3KhyvJI
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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.123Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCvVwiEtWb
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