011 – I Want Steak

After returning to class and completing the afternoon lessons, Arima Seiya stopped by the faculty office to take a look—just as expected, Aizen was nowhere to be found.

Whatever the enigmatic figure was up to remained a mystery. While Seiya felt a bit apprehensive, he knew better than to worry about things beyond his control.

Focus on what's in front of you, he thought.

With the day's classes over, Seiya headed to the cafeteria as usual.

Skipping meals was out of the question—proper nutrition was critical to sustaining his intense training regimen.

When it came to food, he never held back.

"Excuse me, I'll have the hamburger steak combo, extra rice, miso soup, a side of chicken nanban, and a small bowl of curry."

"Oh, running a bit late today, huh?"

The cafeteria worker, who had grown familiar with Seiya's sizable orders, greeted him with a hearty laugh.

"Off to train again after this? You young ones sure have energy to spare."

"Ha! You're not looking too bad yourself, big guy. Still as strong as ever!"

"You've got a sharp tongue, kid! Here, take some pickled veggies—on the house."

A little flattery went a long way, and Seiya happily took the small bonus as he headed to the condiment station.

He sprinkled some chili powder and seaweed flakes onto his food, then glanced around for a quieter spot to eat.

That's when he spotted a familiar figure.

Huh, that's…

Seiya hesitated for a moment, then decided to approach.

"Excuse me, one bowl of rice porridge, please."

"Again? Girl, you can't keep eating like this every day—you'll end up malnourished!"

"Ah… no, it's fine. Really. Hehe, I'm just… on a diet!"

Kotetsu Isane lowered her head nervously, her hand fidgeting with the small decorative earring dangling near her ear.

As Seiya had guessed, Isane's personality was indeed reserved and introverted. She seemed especially uncomfortable in situations like this, where the attention of those around her was drawn her way.

Not again…

Isane clenched her teeth. She hadn't wanted to stand out, but her height always made her the center of attention.

It wasn't her choice to be this tall. She'd have given anything to look more "normal," to just blend in like a regular girl.

Her mind raced for an escape—what could she say to avoid the awkward stares?

"Ah! Kotetsu-senpai, what a coincidence to see you here!"

A cheerful, familiar voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

Startled, Isane turned her head to find a handsome young man with his black hair tied neatly behind him. His soft features and friendly smile gave him an approachable demeanor.

She recognized him immediately.

They'd only met that morning, but this was unmistakably Arima Seiya.

"Kotetsu-senpai, I've been meaning to ask you about something. Would you mind if I joined you for a bit?"

Caught off guard, Isane could only nod reflexively.

"Y-Yes! Sure, let's go!"

The two quickly moved away from the food counter to a quieter corner of the cafeteria. As they settled into their seats, Isane's tense expression visibly relaxed.

"Um… I…"

"If you're about to thank me, don't worry about it," Seiya said with a playful grin, waving her off. "Consider it my way of repaying you for helping me earlier today. It's no big deal."

Isane blinked in surprise, her hands instinctively curling in her lap.

"Then… why did you—"

"It was obvious you were feeling awkward, wasn't it?"

Seiya smiled warmly as he pulled apart his chopsticks, testing their alignment by tapping them gently against the edge of the table.

Perfect.

"Since I noticed, I couldn't just ignore it. You seemed really uncomfortable back there, right?"

Seiya paused, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Of course, if my actions came across as intrusive, I apologize. It wasn't my intention to overstep."

Isane shook her head vigorously.

"No, no, not at all! I really appreciate it. I just… don't know what to say…"

It was as if Seiya had opened the floodgates.

The emotion Isane had been holding back suddenly spilled out, her expression tinged with frustration.

"It's been like this ever since I enrolled… People always stare at me because of my height, even when I'm not doing anything to stand out…"

"I mean, seriously! It's not like I asked to grow this tall! Even eating plain rice porridge somehow made me taller—it's ridiculous!"

Yikes.

Listening to her vent, Seiya winced.

The sheer amount of pent-up frustration was practically bursting from her.

Clearly, she'd been carrying this burden for a long time.

But considering their brief acquaintance, what could he possibly say to comfort her?

Why is she even telling me all this?

Noticing her own outburst, Isane sniffled and murmured an apology.

"S-Sorry… Can we just pretend I didn't say any of that?"

What else could he say but "yes"?

Seiya smiled and nodded.

As the tension eased, Isane seemed to calm down as well. Taking a deep breath, she lightly patted her cheeks as if to steel herself.

Pull yourself together, Kotetsu Isane! Since when did you become so fragile that you're complaining to a first-year?!

"Sorry about that. That must've been embarrassing to watch."

"It's fine," Seiya replied easily. "Honestly, you seem much more relatable now."

He spoke casually as he polished off his bowl of curry.

"Relatable? How so?"

Seiya wiped his mouth, adjusting his posture slightly as he explained.

"Well, most of the time, you come across as a bit… aloof. Like someone hard to approach. But I don't think that's how you actually are, right?"

Isane blinked, her hand unconsciously brushing against her cheek.

"Do… I really seem that way?"

"Absolutely!"

Seizing the moment, Seiya grinned.

"If Kotetsu-senpai smiled more often, I bet you'd look even cuter."

"Wha—?!"

She let out a startled squeak, her reaction almost cat-like.

At nearly six feet tall, the normally composed Isane suddenly seemed small and flustered.

C-Cute?! Did he just say "cute"?

Her mind raced.

He wouldn't say that to other girls, would he? This is so out of the blue—what am I even supposed to think?!

As heat crept up her cheeks, Isane instinctively covered her face with her hands.

Meanwhile, Seiya was blissfully unaware of the turmoil he'd caused.

From his perspective, calling someone "cute" was just a polite compliment—a neutral way to brighten someone's mood.

It was something he'd learned from observing Aizen.

When in doubt, follow the master negotiator.

Breaking the awkward silence, Isane cleared her throat and blurted, "Arima-kun! Y-You sure eat a lot!"

"Can't skimp on food when you're training every day," Seiya replied with a sheepish laugh.

"I-I see…"

Thinking back to his injuries earlier, Isane furrowed her brow.

"Even so, that kind of intense training seems too dangerous. You really ought to take better care of yourself."

Recognizing her genuine concern, Seiya smiled.

"Thanks, senpai. I'll be more careful from now on."

Too casual!

Isane wanted to press the issue but stopped herself.

Instead, she forced an awkward smile.

"You're… really dedicated, huh?"

Seiya nodded firmly.

"Of course! Time at the academy is limited, so I want to make the most of it. That way, I can secure a good future."

His sincerity left Isane at a loss for words.

She couldn't help but admire his drive.

As Seiya finished his meal, Isane glanced at her own bowl of plain porridge.

I wish I could eat like that, she thought.

But growing even taller was out of the question.

After a moment of hesitation, Isane spoke up again.

"By the way… are you doing okay financially?"

Seiya blinked in surprise, then chuckled.

"I'm managing fine. I saved up a bit from doing odd jobs before enrolling, so I should be good for the year."

Nodding thoughtfully, Isane seemed to come to a decision.

Fiddling with her hands, she hesitated before speaking.

"Well… there's a part-time position open in the student council. If you're interested…"

Before she could finish, Seiya's eyes lit up.

"I'm interested!"

Earning money early would mean more financial freedom—and with it, better food options.

Forget hamburger steaks. It's time for steak!