Honestly, you couldn't blame Erina Nakiri for all of this. She'd spent her whole life being admired and catered to. She'd never had to win someone over—people lined up to please her.
"I didn't expect Erina-san to go through something like that as a kid… And the God's Tongue too. It's strong, sure, but the side effects are way too extreme."
Everyone felt bad for Erina after learning about her past. She always looked cold and untouchable, proud to the point of being icy. Who would've imagined her childhood was such a mess? Her mother abandoned her. Her father was fragile as glass—one setback and he completely collapsed, dragging her down with him.
And collapsing wasn't enough. He took it out on his own daughter, filling her head with all kinds of toxic ideas until her worldview twisted completely.
On top of that, the God's Tongue could go out of control at any time. Carrying around a power that might explode without warning… just thinking about it made everyone uneasy.
"If the God's Tongue has problems like that, what about Kael's Special Ability?"
Megumi looked at Kael nervously. According to Alice , his Divine Hearing might be the only hope of saving the God's Tongue. But what if Kael's ability had hidden risks too?
"Yeah. What if Kael's ability also suddenly…"
If the God's Tongue made someone unable to eat, then what about Divine Hearing? Would he eventually go deaf? The thought alone sent chills down their spines.
"Who can predict the future? Besides, the chance of a Special Ability malfunctioning is tiny. Can't you guys just believe in me a little?"
Kael sighed. He knew exactly how the Five Divine Senses worked—there was no downside, no hidden danger. But he couldn't just say that out loud.
His words eased everyone a little, but the worry didn't disappear completely.
Two days later, after class, Alice found Kael and invited him to the Nakiri family's residential district.
"Invite me over? What for?"
Kael raised a brow. He wasn't surprised the Nakiri family wanted to see him. They saw his Divine Hearing as their best shot at saving the God's Tongue—of course they'd try to build a good relationship.
Even if he got along well with Alice, that was just a friendship between students. People like Senzaemon Nakiri would never let such an important matter rest solely on their granddaughter's shoulders.
"I heard the WGO sent you a gift. I don't know what it is exactly. Grandpa didn't explain much over the phone."
Alice shook her head. She only knew the WGO had delivered something. Senzaemon said it was too complicated to explain and told her to bring Kael in person.
Kael was surprised. If the WGO was giving him something, that meant Mana Nakiri had taken notice of him. Otherwise, they wouldn't bother. She must've seen hope in him too.
Honestly, he was curious about the gift.
The two of them headed over to the Nakiri residential area and informed the Polar Star Dormitory on the way—everyone there genuinely cared about their friends.
"I mean… this really is the Nakiri family. Even the school's residential district looks like a luxury resort."
Kael stared at the castle-like buildings and the surrounding villas. He had to admit the Nakiris were ridiculously rich.
Then again, it made sense. The Totsuki Resort alone charged an absurd amount even for the most basic room.
And during the Moon Banquet Festival, they built entire rows of shops and buildings just for a temporary event—real construction, not flimsy stalls. And after the festival, everything was torn down.
That kind of waste was only possible for a family with terrifying amounts of money.
"Grandpa, Erina-san."
Alice led Kael inside. Senzaemon Nakiri and Erina Nakiri were already waiting. Kael greeted them politely. Since this matter was strictly between Kael and the Nakiri family, Hisako didn't tag along.
As for Ryo Kurokiba, ever since Alice moved into the Polar Star Dormitory, he barely contacted her anymore. Unlike Erina, Alice didn't have the same level of fame or responsibility—she didn't need someone shadowing her constantly.
And Ryo might be her aide in name, but the way he acted was completely different from someone like Hisako.
"Good to see you again, Kael-kun. I didn't expect you to shake up the academy so much in just a few days."
Senzaemon laughed heartily. Kael hadn't even been enrolled that long, yet every incident involving him was big enough to make waves.
"I didn't ask for any of it. I just made a dish, and the teacher's reaction set off a whole chain of events. I didn't think things would blow up this much either."
All Kael wanted was to quietly improve his cooking.
"Kael-kun, you're too modest. People with real ability shine no matter where they go."
Erina spoke up. To her, Kael was a rare talent. His style might differ from hers in some areas, but his foundation was Chinese cuisine.
Sure, a lot of Chinese dishes were everyday comfort food—but their high-end dishes were just as dazzling and refined.
She knew better than to underestimate it, and so did everyone else at Totsuki. Anyone who dared look down on Chinese cuisine would be immediately corrected—harshly.
"Erina is right. Outstanding people attract trouble whether they want to or not."
Senzaemon nodded. Someone in his position understood this perfectly—power attracted challengers. There were always people who wanted to step on the strong to climb higher.