After a few minutes of reuniting with Keara, Ruby, and Levina...

Raven eventually left the place together with them.

He didn't even spare a glance at the countless eyes glued onto them, watching every step they took. Raven simply walked forward calmly, his face expressionless as ever.

He didn't care about the attention.

He didn't even think of excusing himself to the others, nor did he bother to feel guilty about the public display of affection he had shown with the girls earlier.

And surprisingly, throughout the entire thing, not a single person spoke up or tried to say anything about it.

The air was silent, yet filled with unspoken words.

(In fact, Raven hurriedly left because he was feeling a little embarrassed. He didn't want to admit it, but deep down, that was the real reason.)

It was only when Raven had already disappeared from sight that the silence broke.

People finally started whispering, gossiping, and talking among themselves again, their conversations filled with curiosity and disbelief.

And at the same time...

"He's really something else huh."

Alec muttered, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, he's weird, like... really weird."

Aoi added right away, still looking unsettled by what happened.

The group was obviously talking about Raven's actions just now.

What left the biggest and most lasting impression on them was not just the way he carried himself, but the moment when Raven had split the crowd apart earlier with nothing but his sheer presence.

That scene was burned into their minds.

Then—

"He must be exhausted."

It was Eve who spoke this time, her voice soft but clear as she gazed at the direction where Raven had just left.

She was standing right beside Kendy, who had been silently observing everything.

Feeling her voice break the silence, Kendy turned his head slightly and looked at Eve.

And when she felt his eyes on her, Eve calmly shifted her gaze back at him without hesitation.

Then she opened her mouth once more.

"I know you want Raven to do it, but he needs to rest–"

Her words trailed slightly before she glanced over at Alec and the others.

"The others seem tired too, so I'll do the reporting instead. I'll tell you what happened inside the labyrinth."

She spoke in a composed tone, not asking for permission, but stating her decision.

Kendy, however, remained silent for a moment. He simply looked at Eve, then at the other exhausted students, and naturally, his thoughts shifted back to Raven.

After a few seconds of thinking, he let out a long sigh.

"Haaa..."

Kendy shook his head slowly.

"You're the same. You need to rest too."

"The reporting can wait."

He finally said, his voice clear and firm.

"Oh, thanks then."

Eve replied immediately, sounding almost casual, as though the whole matter wasn't anything serious.

"..."

Kendy felt a strange sense of déjà vu, almost like he had experienced this exact kind of blunt dismissal before. For a moment, he was speechless, unsure how to respond.

But Eve didn't seem to notice, or perhaps she did and simply didn't care.

Without paying much mind to Kendy's expression, she opened her mouth again—

"Sir Kendy said we can all rest now and delay the reporting."

And after saying those words out loud to the others...

Tap- Tap- Tap-

Eve turned around and left without even a single ounce of hesitation. Her steps were steady and her expression unchanged.

"..."

Kendy was left standing there alone, a complicated expression clouding his face.

"Woah, talk about harsh..."

"Maybe Raven and Eve are actually siblings."

"Maybe..."

Blake, Adelle, and Aoi muttered quietly after witnessing how easily Eve had left their professor speechless.

"....."

Meanwhile, Alec and Curtis didn't say a thing. But even if they didn't voice it, both of them actually felt a little bad for their homeroom professor.

Still, that was all. They were simply too drained to care about socializing further. Their exhaustion weighed heavier than any sympathy they might have felt.

So, without saying anything else to Kendy, the group finally dispersed and headed toward their respective dorms to get some rest.

*****

July 21, 2080, Tuesday...

[7:00 A.M.]

"Hm?"

Raven woke up after his nose caught the faint, tempting aroma of something delicious.

Slowly, his eyes opened. He rubbed his temples lightly before sitting up on the bed, his movements unhurried.

The first thing he noticed was that Keara wasn't lying beside him anymore.

He turned his head slightly, looking back toward his pillow.

-mhmm...

Levina was there, sleeping soundly and peacefully, her breathing faint and steady.

(Levina always ends up sleeping on Raven's pillow, right next to his face, whenever she stays in her spirit form.)

"Good morning..."

Raven muttered in a barely audible voice, more out of habit than anything else.

"Morning!"

-Kyuu!

Then two energetic voices replied instantly, one belonging to Keara and the other to Yuki.

Their cheerful tones came from the kitchen, where they seemed to be busy.

(By the way, Raven's bed is huge. It can fit five people lying down without feeling cramped. He brought it himself, specifically for comfort.)

Anyway, after hearing their voices, Raven stretched lightly before getting out of bed. He fixed himself up quickly, running a hand through his hair, then put on proper clothes.

(He had only been wearing a boxer before, and well, you can probably guess why...)

Once ready, Raven made his way to the kitchen.

*****

"..."

When Raven entered the kitchen, he paused for a moment at the sight before him.

Though his expression didn't show much change, he was genuinely surprised.

He had fully expected to see Keara cooking breakfast, as usual. But instead, what greeted him was different.

Keara was setting the table, carefully arranging the plates and utensils.

And the one actually cooking... was Ruby.

-Kyuu!

Meanwhile, Yuki was happily flying around the kitchen, circling both Keara and Ruby. She clearly missed them a lot and was practically glowing with joy.

Still, Raven's eyes naturally focused on Ruby.

'What's with her?'

He wondered in his head while staring at her concentrated figure.

She was so focused on the dish in front of her that she didn't even notice Raven entering the room.

The reason Raven found this so surprising was simple. Ruby didn't know how to cook. She never even tried to learn.

And how did Raven know that?

Because in his original novel, he had specifically written that trait into Ruby's character setting.

"Raven."

Just as he was staring at Ruby, a voice called out softly.

The voice was gentle, almost weak, but Raven recognized it right away. His gaze shifted to Keara.

She was looking at him, then briefly glanced at Ruby before walking toward him.

When she reached his side, she leaned slightly closer, her smile soft and sweet.

"She was practicing while you were away. She said that she wants to cook for you at least once."

She whispered quietly to him.

"..."

For once, Raven didn't know what to say. His eyes flicked between Ruby and Keara several times.

After a short while...

"I'm excited for today's breakfast."

He finally mumbled.

His ears were faintly red, though his expression remained calm.

Of course, Keara noticed. She had been with him long enough to recognize the tiny signs of his bashfulness, even through his poker face.

...

...

...

Minutes later...

Ruby finished cooking, and everyone in Raven's dorm gathered around the table, ready to eat.

Raven sat in the middle, positioned between Keara and Ruby.

Levina, still in her spirit form, perched on the table with Yuki by her side.

On the table lay the dish Ruby had cooked: beef and mushroom lasagne. Its fragrance filled the entire room, making it impossible to ignore.

Yuki and Levina were practically salivating from the smell alone, and even Keara couldn't hide her excitement to try it.

But despite their eager reactions...

"..."

Ruby was nervous. Her hands fidgeted slightly under the table.

She suddenly remembered something important, something one of her subordinates had once told her about Raven.

That...

'Raven doesn't eat something cooked by other people!'

The information was true.

It was tied to Raven being somewhat of a germaphobe.

'I messed up... I was so excited to cook for him that I completely forgot about that.'

Ruby's mood dipped instantly, her thoughts spiraling.

'Now he won't even touch what I made...'

She became gloomy, almost regretting the effort she had put in.

But then—

Raven suddenly grabbed his spoon.

"Hmm?"

Ruby's eyes widened slightly, her attention snapping to him.

Without hesitation, Raven used the spoon to take a full mouthful portion of the lasagne Ruby had made.

"Thanks for the food."

He muttered quietly.

And then he ate it, chewing calmly without making any sound.

Gulp-

When he swallowed, the room seemed to pause.

"..."

Ruby stayed frozen, her eyes glued to Raven. She was stunned that he actually ate her cooking, but more than that, she was now anxiously waiting for his reaction.

Raven then looked directly at Ruby.

And with a small, genuine smile—

"It's delicious. I want to eat more of your cooking in the future."

His words came out steady, honest, and sincere.

Ruby's heart skipped a beat. The moment the words sank in, a wide grin spread across her face, stretching from ear to ear.

She was so happy that she looked like an idiot, smiling uncontrollably.

'Cute.'

Raven thought unconsciously, his eyes lingering on her expression.

Keara, sitting on his other side, was also happy. She knew better than anyone how much effort Ruby had put into practicing just to make this happen.

"Let's eat!"

Ruby exclaimed brightly, her earlier nervousness gone.

"Thanks for the food."

-Kyuu!

-Yay!

Keara, Yuki, and Levina replied almost at the same time, their cheerful voices blending together.

And so, they began eating Ruby's beef and mushroom lasagne together, happily sharing stories of everything that had happened to them in the past week.

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