No wonder Akisame was so shocked.
Shigure wasn't the extremely reclusive type, but she wasn't one to casually engage in conversation with others either. Yet now, she had spoken up after just a few minutes of meeting them...
'Could it be that this milk is indescribably delicious?' Akisame stared in amazement at the Miltank standing proudly behind Hayashi.
"Master Kōetsuji seems quite curious?" Hayashi picked up another teacup and asked, "How about... a cup for you too?"
"Won't it be a burden for her?"
"Moo!"
The Miltank glared at Akisame in dissatisfaction—What, what, what are you saying?! This little milk? A burden for me?? You're seriously underestimating me!
So, Akisame watched with a mix of amusement and exasperation as the Miltank shot him an unfriendly glare, grumbled something under her breath, and then slammed a cup filled with milk in front of him—Akisame couldn't help but feel like he was being served by a busty girl who was glaring at him while thinking, "Drink up, you bastard."
"Well, well..."
Akisame awkwardly rubbed the tip of his nose before picking up the cup of milk. He took a small sip—and immediately, his body shuddered once, twice, thrice, uncontrollably, sending waves of shock through him!
"Gulp, gulp, gulp—"
Just like Shigure Kōsaka had done earlier, Akisame swiftly downed the entire cup of milk, then licked every last drop off his mustache.
"Master Kōetsuji, does it taste amazing?" Hayashi asked curiously, looking at Akisame. "If you like it, you should praise Miltank more!"
"Hmm..."
Akisame glanced at the Miltank standing nearby and noticed that the cow lady had her arms crossed, though her eyes kept flickering toward him, as if saying—
"Hmph! I-I don't even want your praise!"
—or something along those lines.
Thankfully, Akisame wasn't an otaku, or he might've blurted out—What the hell?! I can understand a flat-chested tsundere, but a cow acting like this?!
Akisame smiled faintly and said to Miltank, "This is the most delicious milk I've ever had in my life—"
Considering that Miltank might not understand overly flowery language, he deliberately kept his praise straightforward.
"Moo!"
Miltank immediately brightened up, giving Akisame a look that seemed to say, "Hah! So you do have good taste after all!" Then, happily, she trotted back to Hisako, proudly showing off as if seeking praise.
"Miltank, you're amazing!"
Hisako didn't hold back her compliments. She chuckled and let Miltank rest her chin on her lap, then gently massaged her shoulders—a technique she had specifically learned from Whitney of the Goldenrod Gym to relieve Miltank's shoulder fatigue.
"Hayashi, didn't you mention earlier that drinking Miltank's milk long-term could grant superhuman physique?"
"Right." Hayashi nodded. "At the very least, I feel like my physical condition has improved significantly compared to before!"
"Hmm—"
Akisame nodded thoughtfully before standing up. "In that case, let's run some tests—all three of you. I need to adjust your training intensity based on your physical data."
"..."
Hayashi twitched the corner of his mouth. He knew it—Akisame's hellish training was about to begin.
...
...
After a series of tests that Hayashi and the others already considered torturous, Akisame studied the notes in his hand and mused, "It seems the effects of that milk are truly remarkable. Your results are so outstanding that even I find them hard to believe."
You must know that Hayashi and the others had revealed they had never undergone any martial arts training—their only "exercise" was just their daily routine. Yet, the physical prowess of these three had already surpassed that of martial artists who had just begun their training.
"Moo!"
Miltank once again proudly puffed out her chest.
Well, of course! Whose milk do you think this is? I'm a Miltank blessed by Arceus—I can confidently call myself the number one milk producer in the world, can't I?
"Though our physical condition is decent, our fundamentals in other areas are practically nonexistent," Hayashi said weakly, sprawled on the floor. "Master Kōetsuji, we'll have to trouble you to put in some extra effort."
"Don't worry," Akisame chuckled, stroking his beard. "Even if you couldn't provide Miltank's milk, just the fact that you call me 'Master' means I won't hold anything back."
"Heh, thanks—" Hayashi grinned.
"Alright, it's about time to prepare dinner," Akisame said as he stood up, rolling up his sleeves. "Hmm, how about bamboo shoots for tonight? I gathered some fresh ones from the mountain earlier—"
"Master Kōetsuji!"
At his movement, Erina and Hisako immediately scrambled up from the tatami.
"Leave the cooking to us!"
"This is our specialty!"
Akisame, who had already stepped halfway into the kitchen, raised an eyebrow. He took a half-step back and gestured toward the kitchen with a smile. "Then let Shigure and I have a taste of your culinary skills."
"Please look forward to it!" Erina stood up, flexing her wrists confidently. "We absolutely, absolutely won't disappoint you!"
...
...
As the flavors bloomed on his taste buds, Akisame's eyes glazed over slightly in astonishment.
He stared at the dishes before him in disbelief and muttered, "These are the same ingredients I gathered, right…?"
How could the same ingredients taste so much better than when he cooked them? That defied all logic!
"G-good…" Shigure mumbled between rapid bites, her cheeks stuffed with food.
"Slow down, there's no rush," Erina sighed, pulling out a napkin to wipe Shigure's mouth. "Chew properly. The food isn't going anywhere."
"Mmm…"
Shigure straightened up, chewing reluctantly with a slight frown—clearly not entirely pleased but heeding Erina's advice nonetheless.
Watching this, Akisame couldn't help but smile faintly. He picked up another bite of bamboo shoot stir-fry and thought, 'Considering the quality of future meals, maybe I should increase their training load a little more.'
Heh heh heh—
For some reason, Hayashi felt an invisible, ominous aura seeping from Akisame's figure, making him appear like a demon emerging from the abyss.
"Alright—"
Suddenly, the demonic presence vanished without a trace. Akisame stood up with a cheerful smile and said to Hayashi and the others, "I'll go prepare the training equipment for tomorrow. Would you mind looking after this child in the meantime?"
Hayashi looked at Shigure Kōsaka, who was sitting beside Erina, and nodded confidently. "Leave it to us! To be honest, back in the day, I became the most popular big brother among elementary school kids in the neighborhood with just one song—'Lone Warrior'!"
Though he had no idea what "Lone Warrior" was, Akisame felt reassured by Hayashi's confidence and headed toward the inner room. Before entering, however, he turned back to emphasize, "Oh, and one more thing! Absolutely no one is allowed in this room without my permission, got it?"
"Yes—" x3
...
...
After Akisame entered the "equipment room" to prepare the tor—ahem, training tools, Hayashi propped his elbows on the table and locked eyes with Shigure, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds...
As time dragged on, Hayashi's eyes grew sore and dry. He strained to keep them wide open, while Shigure, sitting across from him, wasn't faring much better—her little eyes were already turning red.
"You guys are such chil—no, wait, one of you actually is a child," Erina facepalmed in exasperation, then shot Hayashi a look. "Do you really have to compete with a kid like this?"
"Erina, this isn't about age!" Hayashi, tears nearly welling up, gritted his teeth. "This is about grit! A battle of determination!"
"Mm!" Shigure nodded solemnly, her expression unreadable.
Erina exchanged a helpless glance with Hisako, mouthing silently, 'Hisako, do something!'
Hisako tilted her head in thought before suggesting, "How about the loser gets a little treat from Erina as consolation?"
The next moment, both Hayashi and Shigure collapsed to the floor in defeat, wailing, "Aah, I lost—"
Erina twitched her lips. 'What happened to your so-called battle of grit? Where's your pride!?'
"Since we both lost, we both get treats!" Hayashi rubbed his eyes and sat up cross-legged, declaring earnestly, "Erina, I want double-skin milk pudding!"
"!"
At the mention of the dessert, Shigure's ears perked up slightly. Though her face remained blank, her gaze toward Erina said everything.
"Fine, fine, I'll make some for you," Erina sighed, pushing herself up from her knees and heading toward the kitchen.
"Heh, let me tell you, Erina's desserts are amazing!" Hayashi winked at Shigure, then leaned in conspiratorially. "Hey, kid, ever watch cartoons?"
"?"
Shigure tilted her head slightly. "What... is that?"
"Something awesome! Just wait—" Under Hisako's muffled giggles, Hayashi rummaged through his backpack in the corner, pulled out a tablet, and placed it in Shigure's hands. "Sweet Cheese Cat, Doraemon, or Crayon Shin-chan—which one do you wanna watch?"
"..."
Shigure hesitated, her expression conflicted as she studied the covers of the three shows. Finally, she pointed to Chi's Sweet Home.
Alright, time to binge!
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