SCT-Novel Chapter 77: Test Of Courage
Chapter 77: Test Of Courage
Chapter 77: Test Of Courage
Class President Ayase Satzuki hesitated over the Chinese-style rice bowl in front of her.
The reason was her usual inability to handle spicy food.
Yet, she couldnt overlook the expectant eyes around her, prompting Ayase to finally decide to eat the Chinese-style rice bowl.
Gulp.
The sauce was so red that it appeared spicy at first glance.
Before taking a big spoonful of the Chinese-style rice bowl, she first checked its smell.
The scent of green onions masks the pork smell. And theres a hint of spiciness mixed with a smoky aroma.
Contrary to the completely red sauce of the rice bowl, the taste didnt seem too spicy.
This might be okay
Encouraged, she put the spoon in her mouth.
Chomp!
Her first impression upon tasting it was delicious.
You might question such a reaction, but to be precise, it was deliciously spicy.
Even Ayase, who struggled with spicy food, found it to be just the right level of spiciness.
The rice bowl sauce, which had turned completely red from a generous amount of chili powder during cooking, surprisingly had a clean aftertaste, unlike its appearance.
It was slightly spicy, but the overall balance of salty and sweet flavors was excellent.
The crunchy texture of the vegetables was pleasing, as was the taste of the pork chewed together with the rice grains.
Pop! Pop!
The shrimp that occasionally popped with the vegetables made one anticipate the next bite without realizing it.
Unaware of the large sweat droplets on her nose, she was already stuffing her mouth with the Chinese-style rice bowl.
Kim Yu-seong, who had been quietly observing, offered her a small piece of advice.
Breaking the yolk of the fried egg next to you and mixing it together is also delicious.
Fried egg?
Mesmerized, Ayase, who had been continuously moving her spoon, finally noticed the fried egg placed at one corner of the plate.
The sunny-side-up fried egg, perfectly cooked, had its edges completely browned.
Pop!
A gentle touch with the spoon caused the yolk, trapped within a thin membrane, to flow out like lava.
She mixed it with the red-sauced rice and took a bite.
Ah!
It was cunning.
Cunningly delicious.
Who would have thought that such a perfectly balanced dish could be created with limited ingredients in a confined space?
Considering those who couldnt eat spicy food, the Chinese-style rice bowl mixed with creamy egg yolk was not spicy at all, yet it perfectly retained its original umami flavor.
The gentle richness of the egg soothed her tingling tongue caused by the spicy sauce.
After a few bites, the bowl was soon emptied.
After the last spoonful, the Class President, with sweat-soaked hair pushed back behind her ears, murmured contentedly.
I ate well
Yeah. We dont need a lot of people for it anyway. Were thinking of doing it in two shifts, four people at a time.
I nodded to the explanation and then realized that the others had already somewhat started with their makeup.
So, what kind of makeup should I do?
The boy who first spoke to me thought for a moment and then pointed to something in the corner of the storage room.
How about that?
A white hockey mask, overalls, and an orange chainsaw.
It was the costume of a killer from a famous horror movie.
Dont ever do ghost makeup. Someone might faint at the sight of you.
Satorus words flashed through my mind, but my desire to do the ghost role properly was stronger.
Sorry, Satoru.
I murmured that to myself and then, with the help of kids from other classes, tried on the killer makeup.
How is it?
The kids looked at me with serious expressions.
.
.
None of them seemed eager to speak.
When I slightly lifted the chainsaw, just in case, the most frightened-looking kid flinched and stepped back a few steps.
This is too scary.
Really?
If anyone runs into you looking like that in the middle of the night in the forest, someone will surely have a heart attack.
In light of the brutally honest feedback, I quietly took off the hockey mask I was wearing.
So, what kind of makeup should I do?
Then, a boy from another class, rubbing his forehead as if tired, pointed to a red goblin mask lying in the corner of the storage room.
Lets go with that instead.
And so, my ghost costume was decided to be a plastic oni mask.
Courage Test.
As a regular event at field schools, it was often conducted in male-female pairs.
In romantic comedies, it was often used to showcase a guys bravery when the relationship between the boy and girl was ambiguous.
But this story had nothing to do with me, who was playing the role of the ghost in this courage test.
Curse this fate~
Hiding at a pre-designated location, I uttered the ghosts customary line.
Though the line didnt quite fit the situation, my deep voice made it feel somewhat fitting.
I took out my smartphone to check the time.
The current time was 7:58 PM.
The sun had completely set, and the forest was engulfed in pitch darkness.
Honestly, it was so dark that even the bravest might feel scared.
I felt the same, so I wished for the slow time to pass quickly.
Scaring the passing students seemed less frightening than just waiting.