CHAPTER XLIV
~Hell’s Kitchen: Spirit Edition~
The heavy door to the Home Economics Lab creaked open, revealing absolute kitchen chaos—a hurricane of flour coating the air, oily puddles shining on the tiles, and an army of mismatched pots and pans stacked like a teetering fortress by the sink. Countertops were littered with half-chopped vegetables, spilled rice grains, and gleaming utensils that looked abandoned mid-battle. The scent of something savory wafted through the mess, clinging to the warm, humid air. It felt like someone just cooked up a feast and noped out before round two: cleaning.
Rin paused in the doorway, jaw dropping with theatrical disbelief. He swept a hand across the scene, giving an epic shake of his head. “Yo, no shot… Okitsune wouldn’t do me dirty like this! Bro’s got more class than a five-star buffet rat, I swear.” His voice echoed pure Gen Z flair, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as he shot a glance at the confused Korobokkurus huddling by Yuzuki’s side.
Yuzuki studied the disarray, brows furrowing in suspicion.Who could’ve made such a mess?She drifted toward the stove, where a battered pan still sat atop a glowing burner. She reached out, touched it—and yanked her hand back, shaking away the sting. The pan was scorching hot.Someone had definitely been here. But how, with the rain coming down in sheets and the school supposed to be completely deserted?Her mind spun with possibilities.It…it has to be a supernatural. There’s no way anyone else could get in during that storm, Yuzuki thought, unease fluttering in her chest.
Suddenly, one of the Korobokkurus came bounding in, waving its tiny arms and calling, “I see you! I see you!” It skidded to a stop at Rin’s feet. Without missing a beat, Rin kneeled down, miming an over-the-top earpiece tap like a secret agent and nodding solemnly through the avalanche of “I see yous.” After a pause, he grinned big and cocky, flashing Yuzuki a wink.
“Y’know, Yuzuki, I was hoping for a breakfast club moment, but looks like we’re on Hell’s Kitchen: Spirit Edition instead. We got a lot on our plate—literally and supernaturally. Y’all ready to speedrun a ghostly cleanup, or should we order takeout from another dimension?” He waggled his eyebrows and added, “On the bright side—mystery chef might’ve left some midnight snacks. Who’s brave enough to taste-test first?”
The Korobokkurus giggled, Yuzuki shook her head—and despite the swirling questions and spooky mess.
In the library on the 2nd Floor, the warm golden light contrasted with the melancholy drumming of rain against the windows. Okitsune, the small fox-like chef, stood proudly atop the low table—his fur marked by neat apron-like patterns, tail giving off a faint smolder, and the ends of a tiny chef’s hachimaki swaying above bright eyes. He carefully set down steaming plates of delicacies, each fragrant dish a clear labor of love.
“My, my! Okitsune-kun! Thank you so much for the meal!” Himari exclaimed, clapping her hands in delight. Okitsune gave a small bow, eyes agleam, humble pride in every movement.
Seated beside her, Tsukihana Shigure lifted his chopsticks, pausing as the first bite melted on his tongue. His voice, always gentle and raining with poetry, trembled with heartfelt admiration:
“Ah, what gentle grace in savory form—each grain of rice a memory, each note of flavor a tear upon a field at dusk. Okitsune, tonight even thunder must hush, lest it shatter the fragile joy you’ve conjured upon this table. In this fleeting season, with the storm’s breath in every shadow, your meal is a poem I’ll carry in my heart’s rain-soaked pages.”
Himari’s heart swelled and softened at the beauty of his words, tears stinging her eyes—not out of sorrow, but from the overflowing loveliness. Unable to hold back her joy, she leaned in, resting her head softly on Shigure’s shoulder. Her voice came out in a whisper, trembling with awe and happiness:
“You’re always so… good with words. How do you make the simplest things sound like magic?” She smiled, her trust and gratitude radiating between them.
Shigure, cheeks faintly tinged, let joy shimmer in his gaze as he tilted his own head atop hers—a gentle shelter amid the storm, two hearts folded quietly together.
Okitsune’s muzzle curled in satisfaction as he watched the couple, tail swishing gently—contentment sparkling in his fox-bright eyes. The little chef’s presence added a feeling of secret safety to the room, and even as the rain battered harder outside, inside, the air was thick with warmth, gratitude, and love’s gentle melancholy.
The heavy door to the library suddenly banged open with a thunderous crash, making Himari, Tsukihana Shigure, and Okitsune startle sharply. Shigure rose gracefully, a fluid motion like the breaking of dawn, to approach the door, his delicate features etched with calm concern.
Before he could reach it, a sudden whoosh filled the air—the gleaming string of Rin’s Kendama shot out lightning-fast, snagging all the steaming delicacies off the table in a spectacular, swirling arc. Plates, bowls, and all the fragrant food soared upward, spinning like fast meteors before being neatly deposited on the first floor of the library. The string whipped back toward its origin with a zipping hum that demanded immediate attention.
All eyes locked onto the door just as Rin strode inside, Yuzuki standing confidently by his side, both silhouettes framed by the stormlight leaking through the doorway.
Rin grinned wide, a teasing sparkle in his eyes, leaning casually against the doorframe with playful swagger:
“Yo! Welcome to the Grand Snack Heist! We came hungry, ran outta patience, and decided to upgrade the menu—hope you don’t mind a little ‘dietary rearrangement’… zero chill, 100% savage, and all in good vibes, ya feel me?”
His voice bounced with childlike mischief and Gen Z charm, light and goofy yet impossibly cool.
Shigure’s serene expression darkened like a raincloud unfolding its grief, his voice dropping to a soft, quivering poetry that floated through the tense air like mist:
“Ah, the hallowed feast now swept away like fallen leaves on the river’s sigh…
Your intrusion, a tempest unbidden, scatters the delicate threads of our quiet communion—
Yet, beneath the thunder’s heart, still lingers the mournful beauty of a fleeting moment lost to swift winds and wild fate.”
His eyes glistened with unshed tears, a rain-born elegy to the vanished calm.
The heavy library door slammed open so hard it startled Himari, Tsukihana Shigure, and Okitsune. Himari’s eyes immediately snapped to Yuzuki as she worriedly called out, “Yuzuki-san?”
Rin, with a mischievous grin, mimicked Himari’s concerned tone, with an exaggerated, playful British accent,
“Yuzuki-saaaaaan? What’s a posh girl like you doing in a spooky joint like this?”
Yuzuki squinted sharply at Himari, not amused by Rin’s mockery, giving a subtle side-eye as if warning Rin to simmer down.
Shigure’s serene but curt demeanor flipped instantly to action—his delicate hands unfolding a traditional Japanese fan, which he flicked open sharply. With an elegant yet forceful sweep, streams of strong water shot from the fan like a water gun toward Rin.
Rin threw his head back laughing, responding with a playful taunt, “Aight, Shiggy’s throwing hunnid-proof splash vibes! Bet, but watch this!”He whipped out his Kendama, deftly swinging the string to block the incoming water jets with precision while firing off a few playful shots back.
At Yuzuki’s feet, the Korobokkurus scrambled to form a protective front, chirping protective “I see you! I see you!” as they jumped in front of her, trying to block the watery and Kendama blasts exchanged between Rin and Shigure.
The clash escalated into a rapid-fire playful battle of fan-controlled water and Kendama string moves—Rin’s goofy, teasing quips volleying back and forth with Shigure’s soft but sharp poetic insults:
Rin (grinning wide): “Yo Shiggy, you throw like mom at a BBQ! I’m ’boutta have to teach you some drip moves—kendama style, baby!”
Shigure (calm but cutting):“O mischievous tempest, your strings may dance,But words, like water, carve deeper than chance.”
Rin laughed, dodging a water sweep, “Okay, okay, Mr. Poet, but y’all gotta admit, this party’s got some mad entertainment. Who needs Netflix when you got kendama battles IRL?”
Rin grins wildly, swinging his Kendama in defense, the string spinning and whipping back shots that clash against Shigure’s water jets with a satisfyingsnapandsplash.
Rin, teasing and sly, shouts,
“Yo, Shiggy, chill with the waterworks, we ain’t at no tea party! This dinner crash is all about flavors and fun, ya dig?”
Shigure retorts in poetic lament,
“Your chaos spills like a storm unbidden, threatening our sacred offerings. Respect is the spice I require!”
Meanwhile, Himari stepped closer to Yuzuki, gripping her arms gently but firmly. “Yuzuki-san, what are you doing here? The night’s no place for you…”
Yuzuki sharply pulled her arms free, crossing them defiantly and shooting a savage comeback with a cool, confident smirk:“How about you mind your tea and worry less about me, Himari-san? Your lover might die any second now.”
Yuzuki’s eyes glinted with sharp fire as she turned back to the playful chaos between Rin and Shigure, showing she’s no pushover—and firmly owning her place in the madness.
The library was alive with turbulent energy as Rin’s Kendama spun wildly, the shiny string slicing through the air like a living thing. With a sudden maddened cry, Rin launched a devastating attack, the string thinning and glistening sharply under the library’s lights. It grew longer and longer in a swirling, fluid motion, looping around Shigure’s neck in a massive circle like a deadly noose.
The tension snapped tight—the string drew closer with terrifying speed, poised to slice through with lethal precision, the crackling air thick with danger. Shigure’s tranquil expression flickered, his eyes wide in sharp alarm at the impending strike that threatened his very life.
But just before the fatal snap, shards of silver light flashed through the air—a silver pocket mirror, thrown with uncanny speed and unerring precision, sliced sharply through the Kendama string. The mirror shattered mid-flight, bits of gleaming glass scattering like starlight, severing Rin’s deadly thread and sending it tumbling harmlessly aside.
The mirror shards then boomeranged back toward their owner in a graceful, swirling arc.
All heads whipped toward the source: standing on the first-floor railing, where Rin’s stolen delicacies still rested, was the tall, imposing figure of Kagami, his messy black hair shimmering with a blue-violet sheen. Beside him leaned Ayaka casually, her elbow propped on the railing, face resting thoughtfully on her palm, a serene smile playing on her lips.
Rin stared down in stunned shock at his broken Kendama, the string now useless, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Shigure, recovering instantly, allowed his gaze to soften gratefully toward Kagami—their silent lifesaver—acknowledging the narrow escape with a gentle nod.
Below, the Korobokkurus and Okitsune watched in awe, their eyes wide and sparkling, clearly impressed and dazed by the swift intervention of Kagami and Ayaka.
Even Himari, standing nearby, was frozen in shock, staring between the two figures on the railing and the stunned Rin and thankful Shigure.
The clash had shifted with the arrival of the new players—tension and awe mingling in the charged air of the library, shadows of past rivalries and alliances threading through the night’s unraveling drama.
Kagami leaned casually against the railing, his messy black hair shimmering with a blue-violet sheen as he smirked devilishly. “So, I went to hit up the bathroom on the Left Wing of the 3rd Floor—didn’t find you, Rin. Figured I’d come down here to meet my favorite buddy. But, huh, look what I found instead—my rival’s already holding court? Haha, what a fun surprise.” His voice dripped with cocky, twisted charm, each word laced with possessive slyness.
Ayaka, bright as sunshine but sharp as a razor beneath her girly grin, chimed in sweetly, “Awww, poor you, Himari-san! Must’ve been kind of a shock, huh? Seeing more supernaturals pop up outta nowhere, with your classmates chilling right alongside them, right? Oh darling, we’re no different from you—just glitter and shadows all mixed up.” Her voice tinkled with playful warmth, but her eyes glittered with cunning mischief.
Himari stood frozen, her natural calm flickering under the weight of shock as her gaze darted from Yuzuki to Ayaka, caught unprepared by the supernatural spectacle right beside her.
Yuzuki’s lips quirked into a soft, neutral smile as she met Himari’s wide-eyed stare. Another person who can see supernaturals, huh? she thought quietly, intrigued by this new thread weaving into their tangled night.
Meanwhile, Shingure watched the scene with eyes heavy like rainy twilight, his voice flowing like a gentle poetic rain:
“Beneath these haunted halls where shadows dance,
A fleeting storm brews—rivals and friends entwined.
The fragile border ’twixt human and beyond,
Whispers soft secrets in words unlined.”
Rin, always the mischievous whirlwind, grinned from below, tossing out a sly comment with his usual Gen Z flair:
“Yo! Look at this glow-up, squad goals on the spot! Kagami’s chillin’, Ayaka’s bringing the sun, and Himari’s about to have a real-real ‘what the heck’ moment. Lowkey, this night’s lit. Let’s keep it wild and weird, fam.”
Okitsune, meticulous and biting with his old-fashioned snark, scurried near, tail flicking as he muttered, “Such ruckus and flair in this young pack… Back in my day, respect meant a tidy kitchen and a clean hearth, not this dance of chaos. But careful, yokels—this night’s weave is tricky; every flame may soon flicker into smoke.”
Rin threw his head back with a big, goofy laugh while glancing around the kitchen mess. “Yo, Okitsune, I feel you on that whole ‘tidy kitchen, clean hearth’ vibe, but bruh—this place looks like a tornado ran a five-course meal and bounced! I’m talkin’ flour explosions, pot mountains, and enough grease slicks to ice skate on. Clean? Nah, this is more like modern art chaos, and honestly? I’m vibin’ with it.” He gave a mischievous grin and twirled his Kendama like a chef tossing a pizza dough. “Sometimes you gotta get wild in the kitchen before you serve the real flavor, ya dig?”
To be Continued...
ns216.73.216.238da2
