Watching Erina Nakiri flee in a panic, Satou found it amusing. Teasing a tsundere really was an unexpectedly delightful experience.
Satou was about to thank her for letting him use the kitchen, but when he looked back, Erina Nakiri had disappeared. His actions clearly left a deep impression on her.
He walked into the ingredient storage.
Erina Nakiri's ingredient area was equally luxurious, stocked with all kinds of ingredients, including high-end ones like lobsters and tuna.
Even more outrageous, the seafood—lobsters, salmon, groupers—were all alive, clearly refreshed daily. The daily cost of maintaining this storage alone equaled Satou's yearly food expenses…
And this was just one private ingredient storage belonging to a tsundere.
"What a spendthrift!" Satou muttered. "Can you even use all of this by yourself?"
Despite the luxurious stock, Satou only selected basic ingredients for practicing Yangzhou Fried Rice: rice, corn, and ham sausage. No fantasy ingredients yet, but he could still hone his technique.
He diced chicken and ham, placed them into a hot pan, added overnight rice, and stirred and fried…
Time passed, minute by minute.
Three hours later.
"The completion rate for this Yangzhou Fried Rice is sixty-one percent, which is acceptable," the System announced.
This was Satou's fourth attempt. From nine percent initially to sixty-one percent, his progress was astonishing.
"The rice still has a bit too much moisture… could have fried it a little longer," Satou muttered to himself. With his God Tongue, he quickly identified flaws to improve next time.
It was already past one in the morning. Remembering he had class tomorrow, Satou decided to rest.
As he stepped out of the kitchen, he unexpectedly saw Erina Nakiri curled up like a kitten on the living room sofa.
Erina wore only her yellow nightgown, the neckline slipping slightly to reveal fair shoulders. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, her rosy lips parted, and her usual tsundere demeanor was gone—replaced by an innocent, fragile charm.
She curled up in a fetal position, small fists against her chest, calves partially exposed, and her tiny feet exquisitely white and delicate.
For some reason, Satou felt a sudden warmth in his chest, a strange affection for the girl.
He guessed she had been worried when passing her room, which explained why she avoided sleeping there. He shook his head in disbelief. Did he really look that much like a bad guy?
Then, a mischievous idea struck him. He stepped forward and lightly tickled Erina Nakiri's tender sole.
Erina recoiled immediately, her small nose wrinkling, and Satou couldn't help but chuckle. He tickled her again. Her toes curled adorably, and Satou shook his head with amusement.
"Sleeping here will make you catch a cold," he teased, then carefully picked her up to carry her back to her bedroom.
Unexpectedly, a gleaming chef's knife slipped from under her gown and clattered to the floor. Satou froze. Of course, the knife was for self-defense.
"Do I really look that much like a bad guy?" he muttered softly. But looking at her sleeping peacefully in his arms, another thought crept into his mind.
"A quick kiss… should be fine, right?"
Before he could overthink, he lightly pecked Erina Nakiri's snow-white cheek. It was soft and warm.
The next morning.
Erina Nakiri stretched, rubbed her eyes, and sat up. She instinctively felt the soft mattress beneath her and froze.
"How did I get here? Could it be…"
A terrifying thought crossed her mind: "What if that guy did something evil?"
She checked herself quickly. Fortunately, her clothes were intact. She breathed a sigh of relief. He's not so bad after all.
She got out of bed, stretched, and opened the bathroom door—only to see Satou at the sink brushing his teeth. Upon noticing her, he flashed his usual sunny smile.
Erina's forehead instantly filled with black lines. The cup he was using—her usual cup!
"Sorry, I borrowed your things. I'll buy new ones later," Satou said casually, then used the towel she normally used to wipe her face.
"No need, you can have them," she ground her teeth. "And take this towel too!"
"Thanks, very kind of you," Satou said, not standing on ceremony. The towel smelled fragrant and was comfortable.
Erina regretted not throwing it away earlier. Her personal items were now being used by Satou…
"Oh, right," Satou said. "My toothbrush disappeared, so I borrowed yours. I'll buy a new one tonight."
Erina froze mid-brush. You just used my toothbrush…
"No, I used a new one, not yours," Satou reassured.
That's good… she thought, though her hand trembled as she realized the toothbrush she was holding was yellow—his.
A wave of nausea hit her. She quickly tossed the brush and rinsed frantically.
"My toothbrush…"
"It's just a toothbrush," Satou said.
"Indirect kiss! Indirect kiss!" Erina shrieked.
"We've already French kissed, so isn't this just another indirect kiss?" Satou muttered.
"Get out!" Erina roared.