All twenty-three girls from my class were present.

Adding Luminus-sensei, the vice-homeroom teacher, made for a total of twenty-four women standing around in an outdoor reception setup.

I couldn't help but feel out of place, but I was technically an invited guest.

At the moment, I was alone, tearing into some meat.

It was extremely delicious, but since I hadn't eaten alone in a while, I couldn't say I didn't feel a pang of loneliness.

Of course, this wasn't because I was being pushed to the sidelines; it was simply the result of me trying to be considerate on my end.

The celebration for slaying Behemoth had been a huge hit.

The cooking duties seemed to fall primarily to Shi-on, our head chef—a clear-cut, beautiful girl—Loa, a capable maid with a gentle demeanor—and Nagahata, the plant magic specialist from Sumpho’s party.

Nagahata wasn’t outdone in her gentleness, but while Loa channeled that soft air into the service of a loyal maid, Nagahata gave off the vibe of a “kind mother to friends.”

They shared another common trait: an eagerness to help others. Perhaps it was precisely because they had these similarities that they got along so well in class, but from my perspective, they were different despite their likeness.

Since the celebration started, everyone had been grilling meat and vegetables on their own, but Shi-on continued preparing other dishes to offer as well.

The rice balls were disappearing at a furious pace—partly due to their nostalgic appeal—which was enough for several people to step up and offer to help.

Shion seems genuinely happy when she's cooking, radiating a sense of fulfillment.

While there’s likely a desire to be useful for the party, it comes across that she is purely passionate about cooking.

Roa, dressed as a maid, works diligently, assisting Shion while also handling the serving duties.

She is probably using her 『Ability to Know What People Want』, distributing the food with precision by saying "Here you go" in a way that every girl reacts with surprise before bursting into joy.

Gathered around Head Chef Shion is the complete Sakko group.

At the center of the group is Sakko, a delinquent-style girl known for her kindness to anyone.

"Hey, good job everyone~!"

Responding to Sakko’s cheer is Ume, a lively black dyed-delinquent and the group's mood-maker.

"Weee! If you guys can take down something that huge, doesn't that make us invincible?!"

"That’s not invincible."

Shina remains in her cool, aloof character whenever I’m not around.

"U-um. I think this time went very well, but if enemies like that keep appearing, we can’t afford to get complacent."

Genju, the tall girl from the volleyball club, seems to serve as the group’s brake upon closer inspection.

She still shows signs of tension when speaking to me, but I recall her frequently using cautionary language in their conversations among themselves.

Upon hearing the words of Seline and Genchu, Juna slumped her shoulders. “I get it... I was just trying to liven things up...” As she said this, one of the girls patted her back gently with a thump-thump motion.

“Ahaha, you were in the same boat as me, Juna-chan. Neither of us got to contribute, right? But I totally get that sentiment about trying to boost the morale~”

I was Aoi Minami, the last member, someone with whom I had almost no interaction.

She was a lively girl from the swimming club with inward-crimped hair. Her distinctive features were the pins holding back the side hair and her healthy tan.

“That’s what it is~ Aoi-chan~”

Juna dramatically hugged Minami, and in return, Minami patted Juna’s hair while saying, “Yoshi yoshi, there we go.”

“Mm. I understand how you both feel.”

Shion smiled as she voiced her agreement with Juna and Minami.

“Shion is amazing! You’ve got everyone’s stomachs in your grasp!”

“Yeah, yeah. I’d heard you cooked, but isn’t that beyond the level of an ordinary high school girl?”

At those words from Shion, the energetic duo reacted instantly.

“Oh come on, there’s no need to dwell on that. What was it, ‘putting the right stone in the right place’?”

“Do you mean ‘the right material for the right place’?”

“Exactly!”

Seirina corrects Shouko’s slip of the tongue.

Normally, Fukami would be the one to point it out, but I suppose roles shift when the members do.

Watching from a slight distance, I find even such trivial differences enjoyable.

As for Fukami, the earnestly serious beauty who had just come to mind as a class committee member, she was having some kind of conversation with Inbun, the gloomy girl in the literary club who possesses the ability to manipulate shadows.

Because they were a bit further away, I couldn't quite make out the words of their conversation.

"...-kun... truly... ...team?"

"Eh? Uh, yes. Is something... happening?"

"N-N-No, not at all... You just... what kind of..." "What? T-That's..."

All I could tell was that Fukami was blushing.

Inbun’s cheeks were flushed as well, and she seemed to be trying to coax something out of Fukami.

While it did pique my curiosity, intentionally eavesdropping would be a breach of etiquette.

I shifted my gaze, roughly scanning the area to locate the others.

Professor Luminous seemed concerned about the students and was making her rounds, checking in on them one by one.

Perhaps it was reassuring to see a familiar adult face in such dire circumstances; some students teared up while others threw themselves into their teachers' arms.

The teacher returned the embrace with a gentle expression, clearly overjoyed to be reunited with the students.

As for my childhood friend Chiya, she was surrounded by a throng of girls, being mobbed in a sea of bodies.

Well, strictly speaking, they were expressing their gratitude.

Chiya had been supposed to head over using her Healing Magic to tend to the injured members of the Seifang party and those who had broken down mentally.

The ones thanking her were likely the very students she had helped.

"Thank you, Ishiyama-san!" "I was in so much pain... but thanks to you, I feel so much better." "Could you help us again someday...?"

Despite the outpouring of gratitude from all sides, my childhood friend remained utterly expressionless.

Chiya gave a grand, exaggerated nod before opening her mouth.

"Hm. For now, I demand meat."

I knew she was just joking around with a pretentious air, but would the rest of the class understand?

"Meat! I'm grabbing it!" "No, let me!" "It's my turn to go here...!"

However, my fears proved to be groundless.

At the sight of their benefactor craving meat, the girls rushed in, each trying to be first.

In just a short while out of sight, a Sengyu harem had been formed.

Catching her eye for a moment, I mouthed, "Isn't it great being popular?" She replied instantly without missing a beat, "Not quite like you."

With that said, I had no retort.

It seems I still have much practice to do if I want to tease her.

"Sou-suke-kun, is now a good time?"

Turned by the voice, standing there with a beaming smile was—Momo.

The beautiful little devil girl who possesses the 'Cloning Ability'.

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There were twenty-three girls in my class.

Including the vice homeroom teacher, Lumina, there were twenty-four women in total, standing around eating outdoors.

It felt a bit out of place, but I was technically a guest.

Right now, I was eating meat by myself.

It was very tasty, but since I hadn't eaten alone in a while, I couldn't help but feel a bit lonely.

Of course, I wasn't pushed into a corner; it was the result of my own efforts.

The celebration for the Behemoth's defeat was in full swing.

The cooking was mainly handled by our chef, the elegant and beautiful Shion, the efficient maid, the laid-back beautiful girl Roa, and the Evergreen Party's plant mage, Nagahata.

Nagahata was just as laid-back as Roa, but while Roa used her gentle demeanor as a maid to serve, Nagahata had an air about her that reminded me of a kind mother.

Both of them were caring, which might have been why they got along so well in class, but to me, they were different despite their similarities.

Once the celebration started, everyone was grilling meat and vegetables, but Shion continued cooking other dishes.

The rice balls, perhaps due to their nostalgic quality, were disappearing at an incredible rate, so several people offered to help.

Shion looks happy and fulfilled as she cooks.

She probably wants to be useful at the party, but it feels like she just genuinely loves cooking.

Lore, in her maid outfit, is helping Shion and serving the food.

Using her ability to know what people want, Lore serves dishes with pinpoint accuracy, saying, "Here you go," and each girl is surprised and then pleased.

Near Chief Cook Shion, the Shouji group is gathered.

First, there's the friendly Shouji, the center of the group. "You guys did great!"

Responding to Shouji's voice is the cheerful, mood-lifter, black-haired Shouji, Rumeka. "Yeah! We're invincible, aren't we?!"

"Invincible? We're not," Shouji says.

Seirina is still the cool character when I'm not around.

"Yeah. I think we did really well this time, but we can't be too confident if we might face such enemies again."

The tall volleyball player, Genjuu, seems to be the group's brake.

She still looks nervous when talking to me, but I remember she often scolds the girls in their conversations.

Rumeka drops her shoulders and says, "I know, I know... I was trying to liven things up." A girl pats Rumeka's back.

"Haha, Rumeka-chan, you're just like me, you couldn't contribute either. At least I get your desire to liven things up~"

The last person I have almost no contact with is Suwa Ao.

She's a cheerful swimmer with curly hair that curls inward. She's known for the hairpins that hold her side bangs in place and her healthy tan. "Yeah, Ao-chan~"

Rumeka purposely hugs Ao, and Ao strokes Rumeka's hair in response, saying, "There there."

"Fufu. I understand your feelings."

Shion smiles and agrees with Rumeka and Ao.

"Shion, you're amazing! You've got everyone's stomachs in the palm of your hand!"

"That's right. I heard you were cooking, but aren't you beyond the level of a normal high school girl?"

The energetic duo reacts sensitively to Shion's voice.

"Seriously, you don't need to worry about that. What was it, something about stone checkpoints?"

"Are you trying to say 'right person, right place'?" "That's it!"

Seiran corrects Shaku's mistake.

Normally, Shinpo would have corrected it, but I guess roles change when the members do.

As someone watching from a distance, even such small differences are fun.

Speaking of Shinpo, the serious-looking girl who just popped into my head, she was talking with the creepy girl who has the ability to manipulate shadows.

The distance between them is a bit far, so I can't quite make out what they're saying.

"…kun…really, …thing?"

"Eh, eh. Is there…?"

"B, but, I'm not… What…?" "Eh? W, what…?"

I can tell that Shinpo is blushing.

The creepy girl is also blushing, and it seems like she's trying to get something out of Shinpo.

I'm curious, but it wouldn't be polite to eavesdrop.

I scan the area and roughly look for my friends.

Mr. Lumina seems concerned about the students and is going around talking to them.

Meeting a familiar adult in such a situation must be reassuring, as some students were crying and hugging the teacher.

The teacher, with a gentle expression, is clearly happy to see the students again.

As for my childhood friend, Senyuu, she was surrounded by several girls and being thanked.

Actually, to be more precise, she was being thanked.

Senyuu had used her "Healing Magic" to heal the injured members of the Seikou party and those who were mentally exhausted.

The ones thanking her would be the children who benefited from her help.

"Thank you, Dr. Mountain! I was really struggling... but thanks to you, I feel much better now. Will you help us again...?"

Despite being thanked by everyone, Senyuu's expression remained unchanged.

She nodded grandly and spoke.

"Mm. For now, I want some meat."

I could tell she was joking and acting haughty, but would the other classmates understand?

「Meat! I’ll get it!」「No, let me!」「I’ll go!」「Me!」「Me!」「Me!」

But my worries were unfounded.

The girls move to get the meat when they see the benefactor wanting it.

In just a short moment, a harem had formed around Senyuu.

When our eyes met, I mouthed, “You’re popular,” and she immediately replied, “Not as much as you.”

There’s nothing I can say to that.

It seems I still have a lot to learn before I can tease her. "Sou-kun, are you free now?"

When I turned to the voice, there she was, standing with a smile on her face.

She was the mischievous beauty who possessed the "Cloning Ability."

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