Returning from the commercial center, Imaizumi Keita put the gift he bought into the wardrobe.
For once, he took the time to clean the entire apartment again, especially the kitchen and living room.
Although his place was always tidy, the thought of Yanami Anna coming over for dinner this afternoon made him feel it was better to give it a thorough cleaning.
Not long after the lunch break ended, the doorbell rang right on time.
Imaizumi Keita went to open the door, finding a meticulously dressed Yanami Anna standing outside.
She wasn't wearing the dress from last time; instead, she chose an off-white puff-sleeve shirt paired with a high-waisted light blue long skirt.
It had both a girl's sweetness and a perfect touch of everyday casualness.
"Yo, Keita, I'm here!"
Yanami Anna walked in gracefully with a smile on her face.
She skillfully changed into slippers at the entrance, her movements so natural that Imaizumi Keita wanted to comment on how Yanami didn't treat herself like a guest at all.
"Hey..."
Just as he spoke, he saw Yanami Anna head straight for the living room and run over to the refrigerator.
She pulled open the fridge door, peeked inside to scan the contents, then turned back with a look of disappointment on her face.
"I say, Keita. Why is your fridge still so empty? On a day of celebration, there isn't even a pudding or ice cream as a surprise."
"What kind of celebration uses ice cream and pudding as a surprise?"
Imaizumi Keita walked over to her and closed the fridge door irritably. "Besides, didn't you list a whole bunch of things you wanted to eat?"
"That's true..." Yanami Anna nodded, then asked naturally, "Speaking of which, are we eating out for dinner or at home?"
"Since you're already here, of course we're eating at home." Imaizumi Keita's answer was a matter of course. "Otherwise, wouldn't it have been easier to just meet at the mall this afternoon?"
Hearing this, Yanami Anna reached out and gave his arm a playful punch.
"Honestly, Keita, you have no sense of romance at all."
She muttered, cupping her face with a look of yearning. "When a boyfriend and girlfriend go on a date, starting from home and heading to the destination together is also a kind of romance."
Although she said that, she clearly didn't actually intend to eat out.
With her hands behind her back, she leaned forward slightly and looked up at him, her eyes sparkling as she suggested, "Then let's have Sukiyaki tonight! To celebrate you becoming a bestselling author, Keita, we have to eat something good!"
"It's way too early to call me a bestselling author."
Imaizumi Keita corrected her exaggeration but didn't refuse her suggestion. "Sukiyaki is fine, but we have to go buy the ingredients now."
"No problem! Let's go!"
Yanami Anna immediately spun around on the spot, looking impatient to get started.
The two of them headed out together toward the nearby large commercial center.
As soon as they entered the supermarket, Yanami Anna pulled out a shopping cart and pushed it through the aisles.
"We need to buy good beef... Hmm, this one looks nice, the fat distribution is very even!"
She stopped in front of the freezer in the fresh food section, carefully examining a box of A5 Wagyu beef, not hesitating for a second despite its high price.
"I say, Anna-chan, it's just a celebration. There's no need to buy something so expensive, right?"
Imaizumi Keita glanced at the price tag and felt like his manuscript fee, which he had just received, was about to take a massive hit for this meal.
"That won't do!" Yanami Anna immediately retorted, her face serious.
"This is the first step of your career as an author, Keita. There must be a sense of ceremony! This meal will be a pre-emptive congratulatory gift from me, your 'first reader' and 'exclusive girlfriend'!"
She emphasized the words "exclusive girlfriend" very clearly and put the box of Wagyu directly into the cart.
"So, is Anna-chan going to pay for this later?"
"Eh?! I didn't bring any money. Didn't you say you got a huge manuscript fee, Keita?"
Imaizumi Keita looked at Yanami Anna's expression, which suggested she had him right where she wanted him. He wanted to say something but ended up just shaking his head.
Oh well, as long as she's happy.
Anyway, he'd be eating the Wagyu too, so it wasn't a total waste...
Besides, the more Yanami Anna ate, the more justified he would be when he "ate" her later...
Who told her to be so much and not let him have his fill...
The two then headed toward the vegetable section.
Yanami Anna picked out the green onions, shiitake mushrooms, and Chinese cabbage needed for the Sukiyaki. Her careful selection reminded Imaizumi Keita of the times he used to accompany his mother to the supermarket.
"You seem to know quite a lot about these things."
Imaizumi Keita said curiously.
"Of course, don't underestimate me."
Yanami Anna raised her chin proudly. "I help my mom cook too, so I'm a qualified chef, okay..."
"Last time, you didn't even give me a chance to show off before kicking me out, Keita..."
After buying all the ingredients for the Sukiyaki, the cart was half full.
Imaizumi Keita thought the shopping was almost over and was about to push the cart to the checkout when he noticed Yanami Anna suddenly turned around and headed toward the daily necessities section.
"Do we need to buy anything else?"
"Yeah, just taking a look."
Yanami Anna pushed the cart, slowing down in front of the shelves, her eyes scanning the shampoo, body wash, and toothpaste.
Suddenly, she stopped, picked up a bottle of men's facial cleanser, glanced at it, and put it back.
After a quick selection, Yanami Anna finally chose the brand of facial cleanser that Imaizumi Keita was currently using.
"Keita, is the facial cleanser you're using now almost gone?"
She turned her head and asked.
Imaizumi Keita was taken aback; he hadn't really paid attention to such a minor detail.
"I guess so... Why?"
"I saw the one on your sink was already quite flat."
As she spoke, Yanami Anna put the new bottle of facial cleanser into the cart. "A man living alone always forgets to stock up."
Her tone was very natural, as if she had been taking care of Imaizumi Keita for a long time.
Looking at the bottle of facial cleanser in the cart, a strange feeling suddenly welled up in Imaizumi Keita's heart.
Unlike the racing heart he felt when she teased him or confessed, this was a gentle and steady warmth.
He felt like his territory as a bachelor was being gradually occupied by her in an undeniable yet gentle way.
After finishing the shopping, the two returned to the apartment carrying bags of all sizes.
As soon as they entered, Yanami Anna took off her shoes and carried the ingredients into the kitchen.
"All right, Great Author Keita,"
She tied on a spare apron of Imaizumi Keita's and announced with great enthusiasm, "Today I'll show you what I'm made of! You're in charge of washing, and I'll do the chopping!"
"Yes, yes."
Seeing her "hostess of the kitchen" posture, Imaizumi Keita had no choice but to follow orders, tie on an apron, and handle the ingredients at the sink.
In the narrow kitchen, the two stood side by side, their arms occasionally brushing against each other.
The vegetables were washed clean under the running water, and the knife and cutting board made a rhythmic "thud-thud" sound.
There were no ambiguous words or intentional physical contact, yet the air was filled with a domestic atmosphere.
Imaizumi Keita handed over the washed vegetables, and Yanami Anna showed off quite impressive knife skills.
Whether it was the cross-cut on the shiitake mushrooms or the diagonal slicing of the green onions, everything was done properly.
"Oh? I didn't expect you to actually be quite good." Imaizumi Keita was somewhat surprised.
"Hmph, I told you not to underestimate me."
The corners of Yanami Anna's mouth curled up uncontrollably.
After more than half an hour, the dinner preparations were finally finished.
On the square table in the living room, the induction cooker was set up, and the deep Sukiyaki pot was wafting with aroma.
Plates of sliced ingredients were neatly arranged around the table: Wagyu beef slices, Crown daisy, tofu, Enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms...
It was so bountiful that it felt like a holiday.
Imaizumi Keita and Yanami Anna sat opposite each other at the square table, looking at the food with great satisfaction.
At the thought of eating delicious food, the hard work from just now felt like nothing...
Yanami Anna pressed her hands together, tilted her head at Imaizumi Keita, and congratulated him happily.
"Keita, congratulations! I hope the sales for the first volume's publication explode!"
"Thanks for the congratulations, Anna-chan."
Imaizumi Keita responded while looking at the girl in front of him.
The two smiled at each other and spoke in unison with perfect understanding.
"I open the meal."
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