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.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHhWvDYlAm
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"Ginger pork, large rice, and gyoza," he announced, his voice gruff.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7dqbsj9b3
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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.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlymTfZ4NkJ
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Selina, however, looked like she had just been handed a trophy.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbX16Ucu8TW
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"It looks... beautiful," she whispered. She picked up her chopsticks, performed a quick, enthusiastic “Itadakimasu!” and dove in.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgAwtzBJ7X
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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.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylXbtzMkpF
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"This is it," she mumbled through a mouthful of rice. "This is exactly the flavor."124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnfkdobufk
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Yuri paused his cleaning. "Exactly what flavor? It’s just standard ginger sauce. My old man’s recipe."124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPMOo1T6t9
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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."124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlD3DSIylK
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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.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoJvJEBoSaA
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"You’re weird," Yuri muttered, though the edge was gone from his voice.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAmtKytCkE
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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."124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArPgv4UlaV
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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.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkAI7VgrsFb
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"You know, Yuri... have you always lived in this district?"124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0QiCqsCJb
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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?"124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiMLRpfigI
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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."124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BopXHTuss
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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.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoS21WPixGE
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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."124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcC16LG0x1r
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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."124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSe1ERqJ0f
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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.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhVYUHTnrL
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"I'll be back tomorrow, Yuri," she said, waving as she headed for the door.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpow36AMy98
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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."124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxAfEVBlcm
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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.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡleYdXjqBdI
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"Then it's a good thing I'm not 'most girls,'" she winked. "See you tomorrow, Hero."124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu1vOiU516d
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The door clicked shut. The bell chimed.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMt7PsnXvw
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Yuri stood frozen behind the counter. He looked down at the empty plate she had left behind. Hero.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYYHPbknGA
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Nobody had called him that in fifteen years.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWLxxKfbwD
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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.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkSZkLZ9Yv
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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.124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegSBtFHhnv
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1234 copyright protection120ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33OZhkesT6 尼124Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7NsK4qV99