“The people in this village have been replaced by something!? Is that really true!?”
“Shh! Your voice is too loud! Keep it down!”
After successfully reuniting with Melt and the others, Yugo had hidden Shiroi inside the large bag they had brought. He had managed to smuggle the boy into their room without drawing a single wandering eye.
They had never expected the fact that their room was isolated from the other students' quarters to prove so advantageous, and they were privately grateful for the unexpected stroke of luck.
However, far more terrifying and incomprehensible than their good fortune was the enigma of this village—a mystery whose true depth they had yet to fathom.
While Shiroi and Fee were washing up in the bath area, Yugo briefed his companions on everything he had learned, ensuring everyone was up to speed.
“It’s hard to believe at first glance. To think every single resident of the village has been replaced by something…”
“But Shiroi’s fear was the real deal,” Yugo insisted. “For a child that age to choose staying in the forest alone over going back to his home, the sense of wrongness he felt must have been overwhelming.”
“That’s true... As far as we can tell, the people in this village don’t seem to be acting particularly strange. But even so, there’s this... eerie quality to the place.”
The group spent a moment sharing their impressions of the mysterious village and its residents in light of Shiroi’s testimony. While the idea of every villager being replaced was difficult to swallow, Yugo had seen the boy's state firsthand and couldn't believe he was lying.
Amidst the heavy silence, Marcos, who had been deep in solemn reflection, looked up and addressed the group.
“Yugo, do you remember when I returned to the room last night?”
“Hm? Yeah. You were about to say something about Melt, weren’t you?”
“I cut myself off back then, but... the truth is, as I was heading back to the room, I saw Melt entering Egos’s quarters. And she was completely, stark naked.”
“Wh-Whaaat!? I-I was buck naked, going into that Egos guy’s room!? What are you talking about, Marcos!? There is no way I would ever do something like that!”
“Calm down, Melt. We know that,” Yugo said, holding up a hand. “Marcos, is this for real? You definitely saw... a naked Melt?”
“I doubted my own eyes as well. However, that distinctive hair color and face belonged to Melt beyond a shadow of a doubt. She opened the door to Egos’s room right in front of me and stepped inside. Thinking she might have been manipulated by magic or some suspicious drug, I rushed back to the room to tell you, only to find—”
“Only to find the real Melt in the middle of a shower,” Yugo finished with a groan, crossing his arms.
He finally understood why Marcos had been acting so strangely last night—witnessing a scene like that would rattle anyone. But the realization only deepened the mystery.
“Melt existing in two places at once... Does that mean there were two Melts last night? But why?”
“Actually, that solves one mystery,” Ann cut in. “It explains why Cyan and Egos suddenly started acting so incredibly familiar with us.”
“Oh, I get it!” Melt exclaimed. “Because Egos did... that with the other me, he’s been acting like he's my boyfriend!”
“Yugo, it seems your hunch was right; there really is something happening in this village. Something terrifying that defies our imagination.”
Villagers replaced by imposters. A boy who was the sole survivor to escape their clutches. The second Melt whom Marcos had witnessed the previous night.
Though they hadn't found the ultimate answer yet, there was no longer any doubt that an abnormal situation was unfolding.
Just as Yugo was considering how to find the source of this anomaly, Presia—the other person who had helped find Shiroi—visited the room carrying a pot.
“Yugo, sorry for coming by so late! Is Shiroi still awake?”
“Shiroi? He’s in the bath with Fee right now...”
President Presia, who had entered the room with the pot, asked about the boy they were hiding while making sure to firmly lock the door behind her. Just as Yugo answered, Fee and Shiroi emerged from the bath area. Presia beamed at the boy and spoke with maternal warmth.
“Oh, you just got out! Shiroi, please have some of this if you’d like.”
“Eh...? This is...”
As Presia lifted the lid of the pot, a soft, savory, and wonderfully gentle aroma wafted through the room. Shiroi peered into the pot, and upon seeing the vegetable soup simmered with colorful ingredients, his stomach let out a soft, hungry growl.
“Oh my, you really were hungry. You probably haven’t had a proper meal since you went into the forest. Eat this and get your strength back!”
“Th-Thank you, big sister...!”
Shiroi took a spoonful of the vegetable soup Presia had served into a deep bowl and tasted it. He was hesitant for the first bite, but the moment the flavor hit his tongue, he seemed moved to his core. From the second bite onward, he began to devour the soup with ravenous intensity.
“Hehe! I’m glad I made a soup that’s easy on the stomach. I have plenty of seconds, so take your time and enjoy it.”
“Yeah, mhm...!! This soup is so good! Thank you, big sister...!!”
The meal Presia had prepared provided a genuine sense of security to Shiroi’s heart, which had been trembling in isolation. It wasn't just the taste. Tears of joy welled up in his eyes as he lost himself in the warm soup, which was clearly seasoned with her kindness.
Presia watched Shiroi eat her cooking with such relish and happiness, a gentle smile gracing her features. Yugo spoke to her, noting that she looked like the very image of the Goddess of Mercy.
“You’re really kind, President Presia. To care this much about Shiroi...”
“It’s nothing like that. I just thought I’d do what I could. Besides, I love it—the way people smile when they eat something I’ve made. To take someone lost in darkness or sorrow and brighten their heart with a delicious meal... don't you think that’s a wonderful thing? The world is full of hardships, but I want to cook food that makes everyone in the world smile someday. That’s my dream.”
“Making everyone in the world smile...! That’s amazing! I think that’s a really, really great dream!”
“...Yugo, is your vocabulary really that limited?” Marcos sighed. “You’re ruining President Presia’s beautiful sentiment.”
Yugo praised Presia with sparkling eyes as she shared her dream with a shy smile. As Marcos pointed out, his choice of words was simplistic, but the respect in his expression for her grand ambition was undeniable.
“Someone once said that mealtime is a sacred moment when angels descend,” Yugo added. “If someone can walk away with happy memories alongside a delicious meal, it makes the person who cooked it just as happy, doesn't it?”
“Fufu! Thank you. It was a little embarrassing to say out loud, but I’m glad you understood, Yugo.”
“Bi-Big sister! Seconds, please!”
“Oh my! You finished it already? Of course, I’ll get you some more right away!”
Presia smiled happily as she served another helping to Shiroi, who was eating as if it were the finest delicacy he had ever tasted.
While her cooking skills were undoubtedly superb, that wasn't the only thing elevating the flavor of the soup. She had wanted to encourage a boy who had been shivering with loneliness in the woods. She had prepared something easy to digest so he wouldn't fall ill, and she had made enough to ensure he wouldn't go hungry again.
That meticulous, quiet consideration was what truly elevated Presia’s cooking.
To borrow the sentiment Yugo had just shared, there was a secret ingredient that surpassed any spice or luxury component: the affection of the cook.
Confirming the truth of that idea by the look on Shiroi's face, Yugo felt a deep sense of moved admiration for Presia’s cooking—a meal that had saved the heart of a boy caught in a nightmare. He gave a firm, satisfied nod.