My Counterattack System After Reborn

Chapter 13: Much Ado About Steamed Stuffed Buns

Once things settled down, Eve tried to concentrate on the test in front of her. Her mind kept on returning to the moment when Todd had winked at her, though, and when she thought about it, her cheeks turned red. She knew what that wink had meant, and what he had implied when he had spoken about men and women ‘cooperating’. After all, she was no spring chicken.

Time passed and the harder she tried to concentrate, the harder it became. The questions appeared more difficult than they actually were, and she began to feel very frustrated.

Meanwhile, Kang was reading and rereading Todd’s test. He was still having a hard time believing how well Todd had done on it. Finally, the audacity of it got to him, and he walked out of the classroom and into his office. 

With the teacher gone, the students began to get rambunctious. Those that were still working on their tests attempted to maintain their concentration, but those that had finished began to mill about. They discussed what had happened between Todd and Kang, compared papers, and took the opportunity to cheat off of the papers that had already been submitted.

One of Todd’s classmates got his attention and said, “Man, you were so amazing! That was so cool. Did you see Mr. Kang's eyes? They were bulging so far out of their sockets that they were almost falling out!"

Almost everyone was equally impressed, and they kept on patting him on the shoulders. A few of the girls flirted with him and one of them kissed him on the cheek and hurried back to her desk.

A fat kid came up to Todd and said, “That was genius, what you did back there! Pure genius!”

Todd smiled. The fat kid was one of the few students that had stood by him after the big takeover in his previous life. Not only had he not bullied him, but he had even given him a Crispy Chicken Sandwich from KFC. In his new life, Todd planned to reward him for his loyalty.

“Listen, Fatty,” Todd said. “You don’t need to praise me anymore. Just finish up, and I will take you out for your favorite meal, steamed stuffed buns."

Fatty thought about the steamed stuffed bun and smiled. He had not eaten dinner and he was hungry.  

The steamed stuffed bun that was served in the school cafeteria had thin skin and a lot of stuffing. It was almost completely meat. It was very fragrant, and it was the school’s most popular food. Many students wanted steamed stuffed buns, but the amount that was prepared was limited, and they were always running out early. Once they were gone, the only thing left was the cafeteria’s cold, bland, pancakes.  Thus, when the bell rang to signify that the cafeteria opening, the students would run towards it like crazy so that they could get their hands on the steamed stuffed bun. If you did not run, you would be s**t out of luck. Then, you would be stuck eating pancakes.

More often than not, it was the slower students that ended up stuck eating pancakes. If they were in the middle of figuring out a series of questions, then they could not go to the cafeteria right away. They had to stay until their work was finished.

As Todd and Fatty were chatting, they overheard one student say to another: "Alas... It seems that we won't get our steamed stuffed buns today..."

“It sucks,” someone agreed. "When I think about eating an unpalatable pancake, I feel a little sad..."

“Then let’s finish up quickly!” the first student exclaimed. “Whoever finishes first can take our meal card to buy the steamed stuffed buns!"

When Todd heard them, he smiled and said, “Why don’t I buy the steamed stuffed buns? Then you can finish up without having to worry about your meal. What do you think?”

The students could not believe their ears. This was not the way that Todd typically behaved. They looked at him incredulously, as if they were looking at a stranger. Todd had always been an aloof character, but now he was offering to help them buy steamed stuffed buns.

Suddenly, Todd gave them each a hundred dollar bill from his wallet, which was even more of a surprise than his offer to buy the steamed stuffed buns had been. All of the students were stunned.

Todd frowned when he saw the expressions on their faces. "I'm just buying steamed stuffed buns for you,” he said. “And what is a little money between friends? Why are you looking at me as if I were an alien?" Todd scratched his head shyly. "We are classmates, so we should help each other. Right."

Nobody said anything for a full minute, and the room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Finally, the first student looked up. “I d-don’t know ab-b-bout that…” he stuttered. “Y-You are the b-best! Th-Thank you.”

Everyone was incredibly grateful. In the background, though, Todd heard a student chuckle. "Ha! Ha!” he said. “Todd is my meal ticket..."

Todd ignored this person. He smiled, shook his head, and said, "I have a treat for you today..." He looked at Fatty and nodded. "Fatty, I have a good idea. When there are five minutes before the bell is to ring, I will pretend to have a stomachache and go to the bathroom. After I go, give your schoolbag to give Eve. She is sitting next to the window, and I will be waiting outside for it. Then I will buy steamed stuffed buns for everyone, and no one will have to eat pancakes! What do you think?"

“What do I think?” Fatty exclaimed. “I think your plan is perfect!”

The students began to applaud.

There was a hard knock at the door, and everyone turned to see who was there. It was their teacher, Mr. Kang, and he did not look impressed. The students immediately stopped talking. Those that were still working on their tests, returned to their work. Those that had finished sat quietly with their hands on their desks.  

Kang returned to his desk and began to quietly mark the tests that had come in already.

Todd kept looking at his watch, and when there were only five minutes before the end of class, he clutched his stomach, raised his hand, and said, "Teacher, I think I am going to be sick. May I go to the washroom."

Kang rolled his eyes and said, “Go.”

Todd walked out of the room, and as he passed his new friend, Fatty, he smiled and winked mischievously.

Once Todd was gone, Fatty handed Eve his bag, and as soon as she was able, she threw it out of the window. Then she touched her nose a little nervously and continued to answer the questions on the test. 

By the time Todd arrived, the bag was already on the ground. He picked it up and walked towards the cafeteria’s main entrance.