Chapter Thirty-Five: The Meal Card

Matsutani No slept until noon. The classroom was nearly empty, save for Miyamoto Tsune-yasu and Uno Taku, who sat at the desks next to him, passing the time on their phones while they waited for him to wake up.

"What time is it?" Matsutani No patted his dazed head, straightened up, and stretched lazily. He glanced at the few remaining students in the room who were eating their packed lunches and asked in a lethargic tone.

"It’s been half an hour since class ended. Kurohane Ichi has already left." Miyamoto Tsune-yasu put his phone away and stood up.

"Boss, how could you just let him get away with it? Does he have some kind of background? Even if he did, nobody in Linchuan can do anything to you, right?" Uno Taku had been stewing over this all morning, and the moment he saw his boss wake up, he finally blurted out the question.

"Let’s go eat first. Tell him to meet at the gymnasium after school." Matsutani No chuckled, exchanged a knowing look with Miyamoto Tsune-yasu—who was aware of the true situation—and pushed himself up from the desk, heading toward the classroom door.

"Let’s go. Eat up, so you’ll have the strength to fight this afternoon." Miyamoto Tsune-yasu patted Uno Taku on the shoulder and followed him out.

"Boss, wait for me!" Hearing that they would be teaching Kurohane Ichi a lesson after school, Uno Taku’s spirits were instantly lifted. His morning’s frustration vanished; this was the boss he knew, and this was how things were supposed to be.

Outside the cafeteria, Kurohane Ichi paced back and forth. He wasn't sure if he should go in. If he didn't, he would go hungry, but if he did, he didn't have much money on him. The school cafeteria looked incredibly luxurious, with three whole floors; the prices must be steep. Yoshidabumi had only given him a meal card, and he had no idea if there was any credit on it. If it was empty...

"It smells so good. Forget it, I'm going in." Kurohane Ichi charged inside.

"Oof!" He collided with someone.

"I’m sorry, Suzumiya-san." Kurohane Ichi looked up and realized the person he had bumped into was Suzumiya Asuka.

"You... it’s fine." Suzumiya Asuka started to say something, then stopped, side-stepping to walk away.

"Wait, um, Suzumiya-san."

"Yes?"

"Could you tell me if the food here is expensive?" Kurohane Ichi asked cautiously. Since he had run into an acquaintance, he decided to just ask her directly.

"Do you have a meal card?" For some reason, Suzumiya Asuka didn't brush him off; instead, she turned around to ask.

"I do." Kurohane Ichi pulled out his card.

"A three-star card?" Suzumiya Asuka looked at the three stars on the edge of the card, which glinted silver under the lights, and looked surprised.

"What’s wrong? Can I not use it?" Kurohane Ichi saw her expression and felt a wave of disappointment. It was just as he had feared—no lunch for him today.

"Where did you get this card?" Suzumiya Asuka asked, puzzled.

"The teacher who helped me enroll gave it to me." To avoid embarrassing her, Kurohane Ichi didn't mention Yoshidabumi by name.

"What does your family do?" Suzumiya Asuka asked with curiosity.

"I don't have a family. I’m just a poor student from the countryside, an orphan." Though he didn't know why she was asking, Kurohane Ichi stayed in character, putting on a sad, teary-eyed expression.

"Really?" Suzumiya Asuka asked, sounding skeptical.

"Really." Kurohane Ichi raised his right hand and pretended to wipe away a tear, despite there being no moisture in his eyes.

"Then how do you have a three-star card?"

"Three-star card? Isn't this just a normal meal card?" Kurohane Ichi examined the card in his hand carefully. Aside from the three silver stars, it didn't look like anything special.

"A one-star card lets you eat anywhere on the first floor. A two-star card covers the first and second floors. A three-star card... you can eat anywhere on the first, second, or third floor." Suzumiya Asuka stared straight at him, trying to read his face.

"It’s free?" Kurohane Ichi frowned.

"Yes, you just scan it at the machine by the service window." Suzumiya Asuka explained, wondering to herself how he had obtained such a card. Even she had only ever used a two-star card; three-star cards were reserved for those with backgrounds like Matsutani No’s.

"That’s great! Thank you." The feigned sadness on Kurohane Ichi’s face evaporated. He turned and raced toward the ten or so food stalls on the first floor, acting like a country bumpkin who had just stumbled upon a massive bargain.

Suzumiya Asuka’s curiosity about him deepened. He was just a transfer student recruited from the countryside—why would they give him a three-star card? Other transfer students always received one-star cards. How had he become the exception?

In reality, giving Kurohane Ichi the three-star card was simply Yoshidabumi’s way of currying favor with the next leader of the Iga clan, after hearing about his genius display in Iga and acknowledging the status granted by Inoue Izumi. It was a subtle gesture to please him without violating Inoue’s instructions regarding his stipend.

"Ma'am, I want this, and this, and this, and this, and that looks delicious too."

Kurohane Ichi stood at the service window, handing his card to the cafeteria worker. He stood with his mouth half-open, staring at the trays of food like someone who hadn't eaten in days.

"Oh, dear, you don't need to hand us the card. Just scan it at the machine, grab a tray, and we’ll serve you." The workers exchanged smiles. Looking at Kurohane Ichi’s modest, inexpensive clothes compared to the premium uniforms of the other students, and his starving, wide-eyed expression, they immediately assumed he was one of the students recruited from a small town. They held no prejudice toward these students; in fact, they were often friendlier toward them, knowing their own value didn't depend on their workplace, and they all had children of their own.

"Oh, thank you." Kurohane Ichi swiped his card at the machine.

*Beep, beep, beep.* The machine chimed three times.

"A three-star card?" The workers looked at the machine in surprise. Just as they were about to check the card in his hand, Kurohane Ichi tucked it into his pocket and handed them two trays with a grin.

"Young man, the card is only for your own meals." One of the ladies smiled gently, accepting only one tray.

"It is for me! One tray isn't enough. I didn't have dinner last night—I’m starving." Kurohane Ichi insisted, forcing the second tray into the other worker's hand.

"Why didn't you have dinner? Did you have an argument with your family?" They had heard the machine beep three times. A three-star card holder usually came from a very prominent background. No dinner? It must have been a family dispute.

"I don't have family. And I don't have much money, so I couldn't afford to eat." Kurohane Ichi said this in a flat tone, devoid of sorrow, as if he were discussing someone else entirely.

"Oh..." They say the speaker is unintentional, but the listener is sensitive. It was precisely the flat tone that made the workers feel a pang of heartbreak and even guilt. They had suspected he was on a hunger strike due to a tantrum, but it turned out he simply couldn't afford food. The school leadership must have taken pity on him to grant him a three-star card. Otherwise, what three-star card holder would ever choose to eat on the first floor?

"Child, it’s alright. From now on, we are your family. Come on, tell me what you want, and I’ll serve it up for you." An older worker stepped in, welcoming him warmly.

"This, this, and this. Actually... I want all of it." Hearing the mention of food, Kurohane Ichi’s face lit up, and he began pointing at everything.

"I’ve filled them up. Eat these first, and come back if you need more." The worker handed him two heaping trays of food and thoughtfully included a pair of chopsticks.

"Okay, thank you!" Kurohane Ichi looked at the overflowing trays, breathed in the delicious aroma, licked his lips, and carried his meal off to find a table.