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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8dGL67Fy6
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"Ginger pork, large rice, and gyoza," he announced, his voice gruff.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgAHRR3GAjQ
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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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUgHqnIW7vz
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Selina, however, looked like she had just been handed a trophy.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJ3y4GWUpM
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"It looks... beautiful," she whispered. She picked up her chopsticks, performed a quick, enthusiastic “Itadakimasu!” and dove in.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TwWiW6QCS
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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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1NwIc2Pq0
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"This is it," she mumbled through a mouthful of rice. "This is exactly the flavor."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55zqNvNdg4
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Yuri paused his cleaning. "Exactly what flavor? It’s just standard ginger sauce. My old man’s recipe."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9DrYgYAsT
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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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuV3iKfjUQ
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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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbvbRoLHN6
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"You’re weird," Yuri muttered, though the edge was gone from his voice.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5aIz4PKuwB
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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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmlRjz3RJjV
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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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6BwaWYMEf
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"You know, Yuri... have you always lived in this district?"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDJq97ZEZf
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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?"91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpvqKguGiN
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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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMRW1ePKH5
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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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOuM7M26h7b
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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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTzHifclLw
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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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEAadtcIk6R
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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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAr3ES0WHB
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"I'll be back tomorrow, Yuri," she said, waving as she headed for the door.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqmEZIu9nno
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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."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3RXWdKD4nI
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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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUrrj2mGzG
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"Then it's a good thing I'm not 'most girls,'" she winked. "See you tomorrow, Hero."91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ICoVdg4xe
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The door clicked shut. The bell chimed.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5do20ZBQea
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Yuri stood frozen behind the counter. He looked down at the empty plate she had left behind. Hero.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsybN1AMzl
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Nobody had called him that in fifteen years.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlBdrD8JP6
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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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQXnjZWLua0
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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.91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnu9isDY8EN
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1234 copyright protection87ＰＥＮＡＮＡd2vzLhmTXM 尼91Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQ2FxCpni2