Everyone was enjoying the novelty of having a barbecue in such an incredible setting.

The sprawling courtyard overlooked the city skyline, soft music drifted through hidden speakers, and the scent of grilled meat filled the warm afternoon air.

For most of the students, this was the first time they had attended a party at a luxury villa.

Everything felt unreal.

Even Maya seemed more relaxed than usual.

Rolling up the sleeves of her white cardigan slightly, she picked up a few skewers of marinated beef and carefully placed them on the grill in front of her.

The moment the meat touched the hot grate, oil began to sizzle.

A mouthwatering aroma quickly spread through the air.

Several students nearby pulled out their phones to record the moment.

Seeing everyone’s excitement, Maya smiled faintly.

However, it quickly became obvious that she had never grilled food herself before.

As she awkwardly turned one of the skewers, oil dripped directly onto the charcoal below.

Whoosh!

A burst of flames shot upward.

"Ah!"

Maya jumped back in surprise.

The sudden flare-up caught everyone off guard.

Before anyone else could react, Lucas reached over calmly and lifted the skewers away from the fire.

Without the dripping oil feeding the flames, the fire quickly died down.

A few seconds later, everything returned to normal.

Maya let out a small sigh of relief.

"Thank you."

She looked at Lucas sincerely.

Despite being one of the most capable students on campus and serving as Student Union president for two years, Maya had grown up in a privileged environment.

Cooking, grilling, and other everyday tasks were things she rarely had to do herself.

Lucas glanced at the charred skewers in his hand.

"You’re welcome."

He smiled slightly.

"But these are beyond saving."

He tossed the burnt meat into the trash bin nearby.

At the same time, a familiar blue screen appeared in front of his eyes.

[Target Detected]

[Name: Maya Laurent]

[Appearance Score: 9.7]

[Current Favorability: 30]

Lucas’s eyes widened slightly.

A 9.7.

That meant she qualified for the highest rebate tier.

Just moments ago, he had been wondering where to find another top-tier target.

Now one had practically delivered herself to him.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Meanwhile, Maya stared at the ruined skewers with a hint of frustration.

Her brows furrowed slightly, and she pressed her lips together.

"I can’t believe I messed up something this simple."

For one of the rare times in her life, she felt genuinely defeated.

Lucas noticed the disappointment in her eyes.

Before he could say anything, someone stepped forward.

"Don’t worry. Let me help."

Zack appeared beside Maya with a confident smile plastered across his face.

From the moment Maya arrived, his attention had completely shifted away from Sofia.

Everyone could see what he was trying to do.

He grabbed a pair of tongs and picked up several chicken wings.

A few nearby guys exchanged amused looks.

Even Sofia looked speechless.

Zack had spent the entire morning trying to impress her.

Now he had already moved on to Maya.

Typical.

As Zack grilled the chicken wings, he kept trying to move closer to Maya.

Each time he leaned in, Maya subtly stepped aside.

Her expression remained polite, but her body language couldn’t have been clearer.

She wasn’t interested.

Maya had dealt with people like Zack countless times.

The attention no longer impressed her.

Noticing her reaction, Zack finally stopped trying to flirt and focused on the grill instead.

At least, he tried to.

Lucas watched quietly from the side.

After only a minute, Zack began sprinkling seasoning over the chicken wings.

Lucas almost laughed.

The meat wasn’t even cooked through yet.

The outside would burn long before the inside was done.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, the chicken wings looked dark and crispy on the surface.

Zack smiled proudly.

"Here."

He handed one to Maya.

"I guarantee it tastes amazing."

Maya hesitated for a second before taking a small bite.

Immediately, her expression changed.

Her brows knitted together.

She struggled to swallow.

Then she looked down at the chicken wing in disbelief.

"The inside is still raw."

There was visible disappointment in her voice.

Lucas shook his head.

Exactly as expected.

Zack’s face turned bright red.

"What?"

He grabbed the chicken wing back and stared at it.

Sure enough, the center was still pink.

"I don’t understand," he muttered awkwardly.

"The outside looked done already."

"If I left it any longer, it would’ve burned."

The students nearby immediately burst into laughter.

"Zack, stop trying to poison people."

"Forget school. You need cooking lessons."

"Those chicken wings are a health hazard."

"Someone get this man a cookbook."

Even Sofia couldn’t hold back a smile.

Embarrassed, Zack scratched the back of his head and retreated from the grill.

Maya placed the half-eaten chicken wing down and sighed softly.

Just as she was wondering what to do next, Lucas stepped forward.

"Move over."

He picked up a fresh batch of chicken wings.

"Let me show you how it’s done."

Without saying much, Lucas picked up a fresh batch of skewers and placed them on the grill.

His movements were smooth and practiced.

He adjusted the heat, rotated the skewers at just the right pace, and brushed on the marinade with effortless precision.

The sizzling sound of meat hitting the grill mixed with the aroma of spices and smoke, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.

It was obvious he knew exactly what he was doing.

A few minutes later, he lifted several perfectly grilled skewers from the fire.

Golden brown.

Crispy around the edges.

Juicy in the center.

The mouthwatering aroma alone was enough to make people hungry.

Lucas handed the first few skewers to Maya.

"Here."

"Try these."

His tone was casual, but there was a quiet confidence behind his words.

After all, he had spent months working part-time at a barbecue restaurant during college.

Back then, he had learned from an old grill master who treated seasoning ratios like family secrets.

Maya hesitated briefly before accepting them.

"Thank you."

She took a careful bite.

The moment she tasted the meat, her eyes widened.

"Wow."

Her usually calm expression cracked into genuine surprise.

"The outside is perfectly crispy, but the inside is still so tender."

"And the seasoning is just right."

She looked down at the skewer in disbelief.

"It’s even better than most barbecue restaurants."

Lucas smiled faintly.

He wasn’t surprised by the compliment.

Everything had turned out exactly as expected.

"If you like it, have some more."

As he spoke, he handed another plate of freshly grilled skewers to Sofia.

"The birthday girl gets priority."

Sofia happily accepted them.

The moment she took a bite, her reaction mirrored Maya’s.

Her eyes lit up instantly.

"Lucas!"

"These are amazing."

She quickly took another bite.

"Seriously, this tastes just like something you’d get at a high-end barbecue place."

Originally, everyone had gathered around the grill simply for fun.

Most students considered it a success if they managed not to burn the food.

Nobody expected Lucas to be this good.

Several girls nearby exchanged glances.

A handsome guy who could cook?

That was practically cheating.

At that moment, the familiar system notification appeared before Lucas.

[Ding!]

[Sofia’s Favorability has increased by 5 points.]

[Current Favorability: 65]

Lucas raised an eyebrow slightly.

All because of a few skewers?

He hadn’t expected cooking skills to be such a bonus.

Meanwhile, Sofia looked at him curiously.

"I had no idea you could cook like this."

Lucas shrugged modestly.

"It’s nothing special."

"I used to work part-time at a barbecue place."

"I picked up a few tricks."

Sofia blinked in surprise.

"You worked part-time?"

Her impression of Lucas improved even further.

In her mind, someone who could afford a villa like this should have grown up wealthy.

Yet Lucas had still worked while studying.

Not because he had to.

But because he wanted to.

He didn’t act superior.

He didn’t flaunt his money.

He felt... real.

Completely different from the rich kids she usually met.

Another system notification appeared.

[Ding!]

[Sofia’s Favorability has increased by 5 points.]

[Current Favorability: 70]

Lucas nearly laughed.

Ten favorability points from grilling meat?

Apparently, barbecue was more powerful than he thought.

Maybe he really did look particularly charming standing behind a grill.

If that was the case, he didn’t mind cooking a little longer.

Soon, more classmates gathered around.

"Lucas, can I have one too?"

"Save me a chicken wing!"

"Don’t be biased. I want some as well."

Before long, Lucas had become the center of attention.

Meanwhile, Zack sat off to the side, completely ignored.

His expression darkened.

He watched everyone crowd around Lucas, especially Maya and Sofia, who couldn’t stop smiling.

A bitter feeling twisted inside him.

"So what if you worked at a barbecue shop?"

He muttered under his breath.

"You’re still just a poor guy who got lucky."

He conveniently forgot all about the humiliation Lucas had put him through at the café.

The slap.

The embarrassment.

The look of fear he had worn afterward.

Ever since Maya arrived, his pride had slowly returned.

Unfortunately for him, Lucas had an excellent memory.

And if Zack decided to cause trouble today, birthday party or not, Lucas wouldn’t hesitate to remind him exactly what happened last time.