Late at night, the Kyokuseiryō dorms were quiet, most of its residents either fast asleep or relaxing in their rooms. Ryōko Sakaki, Yūki Yoshino, Zenji Marui, Satoshi Isshiki, Daigo Aoki, Megumi Tadokoro, and Sōma Yukihira were settling in when a sudden crash echoed from the kitchen.

Startled, a few of them hurried downstairs to investigate, expecting to find a mess—or maybe even an intruder. But what they discovered was something entirely unexpected.

There, standing in the middle of the flour-dusted kitchen, was Shun, his usually composed expression replaced with a rare, carefree smile. Beside him stood someone they didn’t recognize, equally covered in flour, their laughter filling the room.

Bowls were knocked over, ingredients scattered, and the faint scent of something half-cooked lingered in the air. It was clear they had been attempting some kind of late-night cooking experiment that had gone amusingly wrong.

The group exchanged puzzled glances. Who was this person? And perhaps even more surprising—what had made Shun, of all people, laugh so freely?