"Me?"
Saiki was stunned, not expecting Suzune to mention him.
"Yes, that's right!"
Sudō suddenly realized.
"I remember seeing Saiki buying cooking tools at the school supermarket when we first started. Right?"
At the beginning of the term, Saiki bought pudding-making tools and dessert-making supplies at the school supermarket, seen by some classmates.
While Saiki could cook, his skills were mostly limited to desserts.
"I…"
Saiki was about to refuse, but Suzune cut him off.
"Saiki is great at cooking."
"I see. Consider it a special treat—I wanted to team up with someone who could cook… But if you can satisfy my taste buds, I'll team up with Sudō. After all, teaming up with someone who cooks or fights well is the same."
Ichika smiled.
"As long as it's a guy, anyone will do—but are you really skilled? Even if you're bluffing, the review will be strict."
"Saiki, huh? Originally, I was targeting Ayanokōji, but Saiki works too. I'll use this exam to learn more about him."
'This has nothing to do with me,' Saiki thought.
He turned to Ayanokōji.
'If it were Ayanokōji, he'd immediately sense her identity. Knowing she's from the White Room, he'd never let her near us. It's up to you, Ayanokōji!'
Ayanokōji carefully observed Ichika.
"I can't gather useful info from her yet, but she's definitely here for a reason."
'Right, keep Ichika out of this.'
"But I can't confirm her identity."
'What?'
"If she's from the White Room, she wouldn't approach us so directly."
'Is she from the White Room?'
Saiki was frustrated. Ayanokōji, usually sharp, couldn't gather anything useful from Ichika.
Saiki felt like a seer in a werewolf game who'd identified the werewolf but couldn't reveal it yet.
He turned to Sudō, thinking someone like him would refuse—
"Saiki, I'm counting on you!"
Sudō patted Saiki's shoulder, looking at him earnestly, as if his life depended on it.
'Ugh…'
Saiki sighed, unable to refuse. He nodded reluctantly.
"Fine."
"Let's do it today!"
Ichika clapped.
"Today? That's a bit rushed."
Suzune objected. While Saiki could cook, she wasn't sure of his true skill level.
"It's fine, let's do it today."
Saiki said.
'I don't want to drag this out. Let's get it over with.'
"What about cooking utensils…"
---
"I've got it all."
Saiki said.
"This..."
Amasawa hesitated, surprised that Saiki seemed genuinely skilled in cooking.
"Then I'll go prepare the ingredients for you, senpai. After that, I'll head straight to your room for dinner!"
...
Amasawa bid everyone farewell and left, while Horikita looked at Saiki anxiously.
"Saiki, are you really good at cooking?"
"Barely edible, I guess."
Saiki replied.
He did have some understanding of cooking, but that wasn't what gave him confidence.
On one hand, using telepathy, Saiki knew Amasawa wasn't very skilled in cooking herself.
The same went for Ayanokōji.
For Ayanokōji, such mundane skills were unnecessary.
However, unlike Ayanokōji, Amasawa, being from the fifth batch, seemed to have received additional training in social skills, with cooking possibly being part of it.
On the other hand—
*'What's there to worry about for a psychic?'*
Saiki was already prepared.
...
Soon, Saiki returned to his dorm to prepare. Using his powers, he teleported a set of kitchen utensils into his room.
Then, with teleportation, he returned home.
After all, Saiki had one more trick up his sleeve: calling for backup.
His mother, Kurumi Saiki.
Saiki explained the situation at school to his mother, omitting details about the White Room and the assassins, framing it as a school assessment requiring cooking skills.
Kurumi, a housewife, was an excellent cook, even by Saiki's standards.
Her eyes welled up with tears.
"Kusuo, our Kusuo has finally made friends, wah!"
*'The kitchenware is ready.'*
"Yes! For Kusuo and his new friend, I'll do my best as a mom!"
With Kurumi's agreement, Saiki teleported both of them back to school.
"Is this Kusuo's room? It's so nice! This school is so luxurious!"
Kurumi's eyes sparkled with curiosity, unaware of Saiki's actual school life.
*'She'll be here soon, get ready!'*
"Don't worry, I'm ready!"
Kurumi nodded vigorously.
Saiki then used hypnosis, making Kurumi appear as himself to others while he moved away, using clairvoyance and telepathy to communicate with her.
Soon, the doorbell rang.
'Here she comes!'
Kurumi seemed more excited than Saiki about his 'friend' arriving.
*'Her name is Amasawa Ichika, a year below us. Due to exams and other reasons, I had to cook for her. We just met today, so we're not close... Be careful, she's not an ordinary high schooler.'*
Saiki shared Amasawa's details via telepathy. Kurumi opened the door, and Amasawa entered with the ingredients.
"Sorry for the wait, Saiki-senpai! I spent half a day preparing these ingredients!"
Amasawa's smile was mischievous as she glanced into Saiki's room.
'Finally inside Saiki's room. Maybe I can find something useful here.'
"Welcome, Ichika!"
Kurumi warmly invited Amasawa in.
*'?!'*
Saiki's heart skipped a beat. His mother's friendly tone with a near-stranger felt like a parent welcoming their child's friend—which, in a way, it was.
'?! Saiki-senpai using a nickname already? We just met!'
Amasawa was taken aback.
Her own playful personality aside, Kurumi's words threw off her planned conversation.
'Why is he acting like this? Does he know my importance to his class? He wouldn't do something strange... right?'
'And he seems different now—his demeanor, behavior... almost feminine. But it's definitely him.'
'Is he testing me too? Interesting. The White Room never taught this. I can't lose my composure.'
Amasawa convinced herself that Kurumi was Saiki, fabricating reasons in her mind.
'Saiki-senpai's disguise is impressive. No wonder they warned us not to approach him... But this makes me want to know him better.'
*'Huh? This works?'*
Saiki was stunned.
"Senpai, we just met, and it's late. People might gossip about us alone in your room. Don't you care?"
Amasawa probed.
"It's fine, Kusuo—I need more friends to hang out with!"
Kurumi laughed.
'Kusuo? Why did he say that? I can't read him... If he's testing me, there's a hidden meaning... "More friends"—is he trying to recruit me?'
Amasawa continued her internal monologue, then asked,
"Isn't it strange to ask an unfamiliar man to cook for you? Usually, there'd be resistance."
"It's fine! Just making friends! First time's awkward, but it gets easier!"
Amasawa, caught off guard, handed over the ingredients:
"Saiki-senpai, can you guess what I want you to cook?"
"Fish sauce, chili... Tom Yum soup, right?"
Kurumi, the experienced housewife, identified the dish instantly.
And she could make it.
*'Impressive...'*
Even Saiki was impressed.
"Rest here. Coffee's ready, and there are snacks! Make yourself at home!"
Kurumi's hospitality left the socially adept Amasawa momentarily speechless.
'Make myself at home? Like visiting a friend's house...'
'This warmth feels excessive... Is it part of the test? Saiki might know about the White Room. I can't reveal myself yet. I need more info...'
'The room... no valuable clues. The kitchenware isn't new... So, Saiki really can cook?'
Her gaze shifted to Kurumi, who was skillfully preparing the ingredients.
'This isn't something you learn overnight... Saiki's cooking skills are impressive... Maybe even masterful... Amazing.'
Amasawa marveled internally.
An hour later, Kurumi finished the Tom Yum soup.
"It's ready, Ichika! Tom Yum soup, perfect for warming up on a cool day!"
Kurumi smiled.
'She's confident in her cooking. No questions asked.'
'I was supposed to judge his skills, but now I feel like a guest...'
'I've lost control... Too impressive.'
Amasawa thought, but the soup smelled delicious. She took a bite.
The next moment, her eyes lit up.