When Hisako, sensing the time was about right (meaning half an hour had passed), knocked on the door, she was met with a flustered Erina, her face flushed as she hastily adjusted her clothes and skirt, while Hayashi sat on the floor with his legs curled up, hands clasped behind his head.
"Sniff sniff—"
Hisako instinctively sniffed the air in the room, but before she could smirk and tease them, the red-faced Erina was already pushing her out by the back.
"Erina, I didn't even say anything yet?"
"If I waited for you to say it, it'd be too late!"
"Eh—"
"Go prepare dinner already!"
"Yes—"
Hayashi sat on the floor with a wistful sigh, muttering, "Hang in there, buddy. It won't be much longer!"
Although Hayashi arrived in this world when Erina was only sixteen, after half a year in the world of Shokugeki, half a year in the Pokémon world, a year and a half in the disciple world, and another half year in the Konosuba world, Erina was now nineteen years old!
'Soon, that day is coming soon!' Hayashi clenched his fist and muttered, "Counting it this way, I'm actually already a twenty-six-year-old unreliable adult man?"
Damn, how did time pass so quickly!? I'm already past twenty!? By the time Erina is ready, I'll be twenty-seven—rounding up, I'm practically pushing thirty!?
Yikes!
#Is it normal to still be a virgin at almost twenty-seven?#
...
...
Tonight's dinner was once again personally prepared by Erina. After tasting her cooking again after so long, the old man nodded in satisfaction and praised, "Erina, I originally thought your culinary skills would progress slowly since you didn't train under Master Abe, but it seems I was wrong."
"After all, I've seen many sights along the way and tasted various regional specialties, absorbing plenty of experience," Erina replied with a reserved smile. "Now I understand the significance of Uncle Jōichirō traveling the world back then."
"Hmm, while those reasons you mentioned are valid, there's something else..." The old man's voice carried a hint of teasing as he chuckled lightly. "What I wanted to say is—Erina, I tasted something in your cooking that I've never tasted before."
"Huh?"
Erina looked at him in confusion and asked, "What is it?"
"Well—" The old man glanced at Hayashi, then leaned in to whisper in Erina's ear, "I sensed a certain fiery passion, something your dishes never had before."
"!"
Erina froze for a moment before her face visibly flushed crimson. She glared at the old man and stammered, "I-It's just my cooking skills improving, that's all!"
Hayashi, who had been stuffing his face, looked up and swallowed the meat in his mouth before mumbling, "I can vouch for that! Erina's skills have skyrocketed these past few years! It's gotten tastier and tastier!"
"You just keep eating!"
"Oh—"
Hayashi lowered his head dejectedly. What's the big deal? I was backing you up, and you snapped at me!? You were so clingy and sweet in the bedroom earlier, and now you're all fierce again...
Tch, women!
Beside them, Hisako facepalmed and shook her head helplessly. 'My dear young master, can't you see how flustered Erina is right now? Clearly, the old man is teasing her about you! Speaking up now is just asking for trouble!'
Dummy!
...
...
After dinner, the four members of Hayashi's team gathered once again in the bedroom.
"Ahem." Hayashi cleared his throat and said with utmost seriousness, "Now begins the first strategy meeting of the EMT Squad since returning to the world of Shokugeki!"
Erina covered her face and sighed, "Why is it the EMT Squad again?"
"Huh?" Hayashi froze for a moment, then thoughtfully stroked his chin and said, "Hmm, was that EMF? Or ETS? Or EMY?"
"???"
Erina's face was covered in question marks as she couldn't help but ask, "Wait, Hayashi, how many of these weird acronyms do you actually have?"
"Too many!" Hayashi declared righteously. "Too many to count!"
"Forget them already!"
"Can't do that!"
"Why not?!"
"Because these are all expressions of my love for Erinaaaaa—"
"Gah—"
Erina let out a despairing cry, covering her face with her hands as she collapsed onto Klahh behind her. Weakly, she said, "Klahh! I'm giving you a glorious mission—sneak into Hayashi's room tonight and give him a good whack on the head! Make sure he forgets all these bizarre abbreviations!"
"Huh?"
Klahh blinked in confusion, lifting her head to look at Hayashi—only to see Gengar emerging from the shadows with a mischievous grin, and Arcanine peeking out from behind Hayashi.
My Master, if you want me dead, just send me to the Hoenn trio and have me point at Groudon's nose while shouting, 'Which legendary still can't fly?' That'd be quicker!
"Gah—"
With that, Klahh tilted her neck and dramatically collapsed onto the floor, feigning an accidental demise. If not for her tongue swiftly retracting and her still-rising-and-falling belly—completely unsubtle—anyone might have thought...
Never mind, can't even pretend. She wasn't even trying to hide it.
"Klahh—" Erina's expression was now filled with the same disdain and disgust as Kiba's when he saw Naruto transform into a girl to steal Sasuke. "Half rations for dinner tonight!"
"Wuu—"
Klahh let out a mournful cry, then cast a tragic look toward Hayashi—Master! You gotta understand, I'm a law-abiding citizen, I swear!
Hayashi gave her a comforting look and said, "Erina, cutting her dinner in half is too cruel! Klahh's just a kid!"
"?" Erina glanced at Hayashi, then sneered. "Fine! If you stop with all that EMT, ETK, EMF nonsense, I won't cut her rations!"
"Wuu!"
Klahh immediately perked up, turning pleading eyes toward Hayashi—Master, I'm a good girl. You won't let me down, right?
Hayashi gave her a "I got you" look, then stubbornly declared, "Then cut it in half!"
You got nothing!
Klahh's expression twisted into fury, while Pinocchio beside her laughed until she was breathless—Dumb Klahh, serves you right! Hehe! Clearly, the brains of this squad belong to me, Lord Pinocchio!
She cast a haughty glance at Klahh before eagerly turning back to her book, thinking, Once I master the multiplication table, the day I surpass you in strategy won't be far!
With that, Pinocchio tapped the screen in front of her—
"Nine—"
"Plus—"
"Eight—"
"Equals—"
"I don't know—"
'I see...' Pinocchio wore a thoughtful expression and murmured, "So nine plus eight is the same as seven plus four—the answer is 'I don't know' for both?"
Hayashi and Klahh twitched the corners of their mouths. With that kind of intelligence, you're still the brains of the team? Oh right, if we're calculating the lower limit, then it's not entirely incomprehensible.
So stupid!
...
...
After a chaotic stretch of time filled with completely random and ever-shifting topics, Hayashi cleared his throat with an exaggerated "Ahem! Cough—" to signal that he was about to speak seriously.
"Ehh—" He clicked his tongue. "Well, even though there were some minor interruptions (referring to the hour-and-a-half-long chaos), the strategy meeting is now officially back in session!"
Clap clap— x2
Hisako and Yunyun very considerately applauded, while Erina merely leaned against Arcanine with a resigned look—refusing, for now, to rely on Klahh, that traitor!
"Huh?"
Noticing Erina hadn't clapped, Hayashi immediately turned his gaze toward her.
"W-what are you looking at me for?" Erina crossed her arms, turned her head away with a "Hmph," and declared, "I'm not going to clap, you know?"
"Ehh—"
Hayashi drew out his voice, giving her a pitiful look as he pleaded, "Really? Not even a little clap?"
"No way!"
Erina had her pride—especially since Hayashi had just teased her with terms like "EMT" and "ETK." She absolutely refused to applaud!
"Disappointed—"
Hayashi hung his head. Seeing this, Yunyun quickly turned to Erina and said, "Erina-nee, just clap once to cheer up Hayashi-nii, okay?"
Hisako also chimed in, urging, "Yeah, yeah! Just give a few symbolic claps, Ojou-sama!"
"You two!!" Erina glared fiercely at Yunyun and Hisako before reluctantly—and very half-heartedly—clapping her hands a couple of times. Huffing, she snapped, "There, happy? Honestly! You're such a child!"
"Ehehe—"
Hayashi grinned triumphantly, making Erina sigh and shake her head in exasperation—I'm the younger one here, so why does it feel like I'm the one in a noona romance?!
Such a man-child! Hmph!
So, with a stern glare, Erina demanded, "So? What exactly is this 'strategy meeting' about? Hurry up and explain!"
He'd been going on about it for over half an hour, yet nothing had actually started. Such a slacker!
"Ahem! It's about our next world!" Hayashi coughed and quickly explained, "The main topic is whether we should get involved in the later parts of the story—specifically, after Momonga gets transported to the New World!"
At this question, Erina and Hisako immediately fell silent, while the still-clueless Yunyun blinked her wide, innocent eyes, looking around as if to say, Huh? What's going on? What are you all talking about?
Hang in there, Yunyun! Stay strong!