That day, Rose was busily working in her kitchen at home.

Usually, she relied on delivery services or ready-made dishes from the nearby supermarket.

The cooking space, which she barely used, had gathered dust until now—its use mostly limited to boiling water for instant noodles.

But today was different. Every piece of kitchen equipment was in full operation. She had even gone so far as to acquire and wear a brand-new apron for the occasion.

Pots and pans sizzled on the stove, steam rising from them. On the countertop, high-quality ingredients from a premium supermarket were neatly arranged—colorful vegetables and meats waiting for their turn.

The kitchen was splendid, matching the luxurious living space. Unlike a typical home kitchen, it had a spacious layout with a central island countertop. The stove area was wide, and the refrigerator was a large French-door model.

"...This should be good," she said, smiling as she tasted the broth she scooped up with a ladle.

The soup had been simmering for several hours. It was a costly, labor-intensive dish. Satisfied with the taste, Rose swiftly moved on to the next course.

Hours had already passed since she started cooking.

After school, she had gone shopping for ingredients, then locked herself away in the kitchen. It was now nearing midnight. What could have driven her to such passionate effort? Just one thing: making a lunchbox for her beloved.

Following the incident during the graduation trip, Nishino, having lost his financial freedom, now received his meals as in-kind support—namely, Rose's lovingly packed daily bento boxes.

"With this, he definitely won't say it tastes bad... right...?"

Imagining the two of them opening their lunches side by side on the rooftop the next day, Rose let out a creepy little chuckle. For her, sharing lunch with him at school was an absolute must—an event she couldn't afford to miss.

As a result, her enthusiasm was through the roof.

Her thoughts leapt ahead, and she began adding a "secret ingredient" to her cooking.

"...Hehe, ufufufufu."

A glass container appeared out of nowhere. The transparent liquid inside was slowly poured into the pot placed on the stove. Watching the liquid blend into the soup, her smile grew even deeper.

Before the trip abroad, Rose had once made rice porridge at Nishino's house. Ever since, she'd become intoxicated by the power of cooking as an advantage. She had been in high spirits. Thanks to that, every dish she prepared today was filled with her love.

The soup and the mysterious liquid blended together completely.

Confirming that there was no change in taste or aroma, her attention shifted elsewhere.

"Now then, next is..."

In her mind, she pictured a bento box gradually filling up with dishes.

Only one dish remained.

"......"

Just as she enthusiastically opened the refrigerator, Rose suddenly realized something.

There was a missing ingredient among the groceries she had bought in advance.

Noticing the dwindling number of items on the shelves, she realized it only then—it was the last missing item: the 'ginger shoots' to accompany the yellowtail teriyaki. She had planned to pickle them in sweet vinegar while preparing the fish, making 'pickled ginger', but she couldn't find the crucial ginger shoots anywhere.

"...This is troublesome."

If it were something she could find at a convenience store, she could dash out and buy it right away. But no matter which store she checked across the country at this hour, she doubted she'd find pickled ginger. At best, she might find regular root ginger—but that wasn't what she needed.

With no other choice, Rose began calling every supermarket in Tokyo that were open late into the night, checking one by one, "Are you selling pickled ginger?", "Do you have pickled ginger in stock?" One after another, she made inquiries. However, unfortunately, she didn't get a single positive responses.

"......"

Giving up on the final dish was not an option for Rose.

But for the sake of her beloved, her personality compelled her to go all out, no matter what.

Fueled by late-night determination, the chef tapped on her phone and dialed another number.

After five rings, the call connected.

『...What could you possibly want at this hour?』

The person on the other end was Francisca.

Judging from her grumpy tone, it seemed Rose had woken her up. But Rose continued without paying it any mind. Right now, her head was completely filled with one thought—adding pickled ginger to the yellowtail teriyaki, all to make lunch with Nishino even more enjoyable.

"Just asking on a long shot, but do you happen to have pickled ginger at your house?"

『Hah? What are you even talking about?』

"Pickled ginger."

『...Rose-chan, are you perhaps still half-asleep?』

"Do you have it or not?"

『You know my eating habits, don't you?』

"Right. My apologies."

Realizing her target item wasn't available, Rose promptly ended the call.

'What the hell was that call about in the middle of the night?' — that was Francisca's honest reaction from the other end. And frankly, she had every right to feel that way. But her irritation never reached the one responsible.

Rose's fingers were already flipping through her address book, picking out another number.

Without hesitation, she pressed the call button.

This time, it took about ten rings before the other person finally responded.

『...Rose-san, do you even know what time it is...?』

It was Shimizu, the class president.

Compared to Francisca, her voice sounded even sleepier. It was already past her bedtime, and she had been curled up under her blanket—until the incoming call jolted her awake with its shrill ringtone.

"Do you happen to have pickled ginger in your kitchen?"

『...Huh?』

"Pickled ginger. You're Japanese, and you don't know what that is?"

『......』

Feeling indirectly mocked, Shimizu felt a surge of irritation.

Inside her fridge were pickled gingers that her father used to nibble on during his evening drinks. "There's nothing better than dipping it in miso", he had told her more than once at the dinner table. When she tried it herself, she had to admit—it was delicious. The class president was a woman who could appreciate the refined tastes of adulthood.

However, having her sleep so rudely interrupted made her a little spiteful.

"Do you have it or not? Just one piece would be enough."

『......I don't.』

"I see. My apologies."

Rose, pressed for time, hung up abruptly.

As a result, the class president was completely bewildered.

'Wait, since when were we close enough for her to treat my kitchen like her own?' — she couldn't help but wonder. Still confused, she rolled over and pulled the blanket back over herself.

Meanwhile, the blonde lolita, still struggling to track down pickled ginger, was growing impatient.

"......"

Just half an hour ago, she had a perfect image of the bento in her mind. But now, with the pickled ginger that was meant to accompany the yellowtail teriyaki missing, the whole vision felt faded and incomplete. If it were a meal just for herself, she wouldn't have cared so much.

So, after quickly finishing the preparation of the fish, she completed all the necessary steps for making the lunchbox—except for the missing pickled ginger. Now, only the final packing remained, and everything else was ready.

"The greater the adversity, the stronger love grows."

Overcome with unstoppable love, she changed out of her apron and into her work outfit.

Then, while muttering something that made no sense to anyone but herself, she stepped out into the night.

◆

Rose hopped into a taxi and headed straight for one of the top department stores in Tokyo.

Naturally, like many others, this store had a fresh food section in the basement.

She was confident that if any place had what she was looking for, it would be here. The store was large enough to promise a well-stocked selection. Of course, unlike a convenience store, it had long since closed for the day. But now awakened by love, she refused to give up.

"...Looks like it'll be fine."

Slipping in through the employees' entrance, she infiltrated the building without issue.

Her destination: the vegetable section on the basement floor.

For someone accustomed to such activities, sneaking in and grabbing a small item worth a few hundred yen was a simple task. With her superhuman physical abilities, she didn't expect much trouble.

And even if she did get caught, she could always rely on Francisca to smooth things over with money. It wouldn't be cheap, but she wanted that pickled ginger so badly. She wanted to complete the perfect bento for her beloved by obtaining the final piece.

With this in mind, she cheerfully entered the fresh food section.

She was dressed entirely in a black rubber suit, her face hidden behind a mask. On top of that, she wore a work uniform borrowed from an employee locker. She moved only through the blind spots of surveillance cameras, creeping along for several minutes.

"Heh heh, there it is."

Her face lit up with a smile as she spotted what was displayed in the vegetable section.

Right there, displayed alongside other root vegetables, was the pickled ginger—Aichi Prefecture's prized kintoki ginger. 'Yes, this is it. This is what I wanted!' As if saying so, she reached for the product. Since it was just one of many vegetables lined up in the section, there was practically no security. At most, there was a transparent plastic sheet laid on top for refrigeration.

She took a few stalks that looked fresh and vibrant and carefully placed them in a plastic storage bag. Slipping it into the backpack that held her change of clothes, she had achieved her goal.

Now, all that remained was to exit without being seen.

"...That was easier than I expected."

Muttering to no one in particular, she turned to leave.

This time, she began to walk through the store to escape to the outside.

Unlike the floors that dealt with expensive items like jewelry, branded watches, and bags, the basement vegetable section had fewer surveillance cameras. Thanks to that, she was able to move through the floor without much difficulty.

She safely retraced her steps.

And then, just as she reached the employee passage on the ground floor—

Something moving suddenly caught her eye.

"......"

It was someone else dressed entirely in black, just like her.

They were carrying a rather large bag in their hand, glancing around restlessly and checking their surroundings. Judging by their build, they appeared to be male. They wore a balaclava, so their age was unclear, and their face was hidden.

Without a doubt, it was someone who looked like a burglar.

"...This is bad."

Seeing the figure, Rose assessed the situation.

The burglar's movements, clearly showing his inexperience, looked very unreliable in her eyes. If he were caught at this moment, it could potentially affect the ginger hunter who had also snuck in at the same time.

"............"

She had two choices.

Ignore it, or get involved.

"If I leave it like this, who knows what kind of mess this fellow will cause..."

After a moment's thought, Rose decided to go with the latter.

Suppressing her eagerness to get back to her bento-making, she maneuvered to approach the burglar from behind. Her movements were swift, barely noticeable in the darkness. The unsuspecting target remained oblivious as she closed in silently.

Seizing the moment when the man's attention shifted forward, she struck his neck with a precise hand chop.

"Hk...!"

With a small groan, the burglar's lower body went limp.

It seemed a single blow had knocked him unconscious.

His unsupported body collapsed onto the floor.

"....Looks like this will do."

She then checked the bag the man had been carrying.

It felt light, as expected—mostly empty. It contained only small tools like a hammer and duct tape, presumably used to break in.

The poor burglar hadn't even gotten started.

Confirming this, Rose scanned her surroundings.

She noticed a half-open door down the corridor. Following her instincts, she hoisted the man under her arms and moved toward it. Peering cautiously through the gap, she checked inside the room.

It appeared to be a storage room, and its windowpane was shattered.

Just as she had anticipated, there were signs of a break-in from the outside.

"Might as well make use of this."

Taking advantage of the broken window, she slipped outside, towing the burglar and his bag along with her.

Since it was on the ground floor, it didn't pose much difficulty.

After safely escaping the building, she dragged the unconscious man into the shadows and quickly changed clothes. She removed the black rubber suit and the employee uniform, replacing them with her casual clothes. The outfit she had been wearing was neatly stashed into her backpack.

"...Now then."

Next, she pulled out her phone.

She quickly operated the screen and launched the calling app. Choosing the target from her recent call history, she started dialing. After about a dozen rings, the line connected. The voice that came back from the other end was very displeased.

『Rose-san, if you have a grudge against me, we can talk about this at school tomorrow...』

"Ara? I'm sorry. Wrong number."

『......』

It seemed she had intended to call Francisca but had mistakenly called the class president.

And, once again, she hung up abruptly.

Since the two names were listed one above the other in her call history, a slight slip of her finger had apparently disturbed Shimizu's sleep. Rose had genuinely made a mistake.

The class president, having been woken up by mistake, was furious. Anger toward Rose welled up inside her. As a result, she spent the next few hours until morning tossing and turning, unable to fall back asleep.

Meanwhile, Rose called Francisca again.

This time, the response was somewhat better than Shimizu's, and the call connected after a few rings.

『Rose-chan, what is it this time? I'm really sleepy, you know.』

"I ran into a burglar at a department store in Tokyo."

『...Huh?』

"He looked like an amateur. There's a broken window, so could you send someone to clean it up?"

『...What the hell are you doing?』

Francisca's bewildered voice echoed over the phone.

She clearly didn't understand what was going on.

"I've secured the culprit, so could you send a car and some people over here? I have other things to do, so I don't have time to deal with the detailed procedures. If we leave it like this, it looks like it could cause various problems."

『W-Wait a second! Where are you right now?』

"I'll send you my location. This is also necessary work to secure the 【Normal】."

『Wai... mou, I have to get up early tomorrow too, you know!』

Hearing Francisca's near-wailing protest, Rose hung up.

◆

As planned, Rose met up with Francisca and handed over the man at the scene.

"...Pickled ginger to go with the yellowtail teriyaki?"

"Yes, that's right."

Having received an explanation of the situation and events from her partner, Francisca's face twisted in bewilderment. Beside her, a large van was parked, its back seat occupied by a limp, unconscious burglar.

The location was a narrow alleyway a short distance from the department store where the commotion had occurred. It was well past midnight, and being a weekday, there was no sign of anyone else around. Taking advantage of the situation, they were talking on the street, but the content was far more nonsensical than Francisca could have imagined.

"And how is [Normal] related to this?"

"You don't even understand that?"

"No, I don't. I'd love for you to explain."

"It's obviously part of his lunchbox menu."

"......"

'There's no talking sense into her,' she thought. Francisca concluded.

And indeed, Rose's head was completely lost in her own little world of flowers.

"Rose-chan, by any chance... the reason you called me earlier was..."

"What other possible reason could there be?"

"...W-Well."

"It's a lunchbox I'm making for him, so I absolutely can't cut corners. Since it just happens to be near my place, there's no reason not to go get it, right? I'm sure even the ginger is thrilled to be part of his meal."

"......"

Watching Rose's eyes sparkle with enthusiasm, Francisca decided not to argue any further. Judging by her state, no amount of persuasion would make her listen.

That said, Francisca was a busy woman herself.

"Just so we're clear—this won't be free, you know?"

"That's fine. Consider it your pocket money."

"...Well, if you say so, then I suppose it's fine."

Still feeling unconvinced, Francisca simply nodded.

On the other hand, Rose, who had been overcharged, still wore a completely satisfied expression despite having paid a not-insignificant amount. Witnessing this, the smelly crotch aunt secretly resolved to keep pickled ginger stocked in her refrigerator from now on.

◆

And so, morning came. Rose woke up early to finish preparing the lunchbox.

Since she had only returned home at dawn, she'd gotten less than three hours of sleep. Despite this, her face was brimming with a radiant smile. Her bloodshot eyes and eerie chuckle gave her an unsettling air, despite her cute appearance.

Then came lunch break.

As soon as class ended, she left the classroom.

Her hurried footsteps led her to the neighboring Class 2-A. The bento remained tucked inside her bag, left behind in her own classroom—after all, nothing could begin until she secured Nishino. Finding him and dragging him to lunch was the priority.

Just as she exited the classroom, she lightly bumped shoulders with another student in the hallway.

As someone with extraordinary physical abilities, Rose wasn't fazed in the slightest. For the sake of appearances, she swayed slightly. The other student, however, stumbled badly, nearly losing balance.

"Kyaah—!"

At the same time, a cute shriek echoed through the hallway.

When Rose turned her gaze, she saw none other than the 2-A class president, Shimizu.

"Hey, you! Running in the hallway is not allowed, you know?"

"R-Rose-san…"

The class rep frowned upon hearing Rose's voice.

The reason she had to run in the hallway was entirely due to the person in front of her. Because of repeated late-night phone calls the night before, she hadn't been able to sleep properly, which caused her to oversleep and miss the chance to make her lunchbox.

As a result, she was forced to dash to the cafeteria during lunch break.

Like at many other schools, Tsunuma High's cafeteria became extremely crowded at lunchtime. Even a few minutes' delay meant the desirable bread and bento boxes would already be sold out. What remained were options that lacked both taste and nutrition.

On top of that, her close friends were already waiting for her in the classroom, lunchboxes opened.

"Whose fault do you think it is that I'm running...!"

Frustrated from sleep deprivation, she inadvertently raised her voice.

Meanwhile, Rose simply slipped past Shimizu without paying her any mind.

"Excuse me."

"Ah, w-wait—!"

The class president tried to stop her, but Rose wasn't the type to indulge such interruptions.

There was no moment more precious than this.

She couldn't afford to miss the opportunity by wasting time on other students.

Leaving Shimizu behind, Rose headed straight to Class 2-A to confirm Nishino's whereabouts. And just as she arrived, the very person she sought appeared before her—stepping out of the classroom doorway and into the hallway.

The moment she saw his face, her expression almost softened into a smile.

Since she had received a call from the hospital the previous day, Rose knew that Nishino would be discharged today. And knowing how much he loved school, she easily predicted that he would show up in Class 2-A right away.

Seeing her prediction come true, she felt a warm sensation fill her heart.

All that remained was to lure the stubborn boy up to the rooftop.

Desperately suppressing her impatience, Rose took a step toward Nishino.

"Ara? Nishino-kun?"

"...!"

"Should you really be out of bed? You're still recovering, aren't you?"

And so, just like always, she greeted her crush with a polite, practiced smile.