The standoff between Mrs. Sawamura and Mrs. Yotsuya did not last long.
Touko quickly pulled Asa back home for dinner. Although Touko's invitation to Asa had been somewhat ulteriorly motivated, the evening meal she prepared was exquisitely refined. While Touko's cooking skills couldn't compare to Mieko's, they were still above average among young wives.
Asa ate the meal with great satisfaction. Touko was equally satisfied with the meal she had prepared.
"Asa-kun, come over to our house for dinner often from now on." Touko invited him before he left.
"Yes, yes! Asa-kun, please come play more often!" Miko clearly sensed that after the meal, her mother's attitude toward Asa had become much more affectionate. Perhaps she really does see Asa as her deceased younger brother? Miko, happy to see this development, beamed with joy.
"Thank you, Auntie Yotsuya, and Yotsuya-nee for the octopus…" Asa held up a bag of flash-frozen octopus tentacles. Miko had specifically added them to her mother's shopping list after learning he needed them for his cooking class tomorrow.
After returning to the Yukinoshita residence, only Yukino was home, as usual.
After the demon on Mount Natagumo was exterminated, the amusement park project officially got underway. Mrs. Yukinoshita had been busy recently. Haruno had yet to secure permission to live off-campus and was still engaging in a battle of wits and willpower with her faculty advisor.
Yukino, reading a book at home, saw Asa return, and her beautiful eyes immediately lit up. Asa had messaged her this afternoon that he was going to a friend's house for dinner. As for who the friend was, Asa didn't say, and she naturally didn't ask.
This was Yukino's nature. She wouldn't press Asa about who he was with or what he was doing. To her, doing so was pointless and only added to her troubles. Based on her half-month of interaction with Asa, Yukino had already formulated a complete method for enhancing their relationship and bond. The most important guiding principle was: to create time and events that belong only to her and Asa!
"Asa-kun, you're making takoyaki for your cooking class tomorrow, right? Do you want me to practice with you beforehand?" Yukino looked at the octopus tentacles Asa was holding and proactively suggested.
Practice? Asa blinked. Although he hadn't made takoyaki before, it wasn't a difficult dish to prepare, so there shouldn't be much need for practice…
Just as Asa was about to speak, he suddenly noticed the subtle tension and expectation flickering in Yukino's eyes.
'She's such a difficult older sister.'
Seeing this, Asa swallowed the words he was about to say and nodded seriously. "Then I'll leave it to you, Yukino-nee."
"Then let's start right away!"
It was then that Asa realized Yukino had even prepared the takoyaki machine. She even had a notebook containing detailed instructions and key points for making takoyaki. Seeing this, Asa immediately understood that Yukino had quietly prepared everything for him the moment she received the news.
"Yukino-nee, it's really great having you here."
Asa's gentle and straightforward words caused Yukino's delicate body to tremble slightly. Such a simple sentence created a intense ripple in Yukino's heart.
"L-let's hurry up and begin!" The girl turned her back after a moment of silence, her voice trembling slightly. In this house, it was the first time she felt this sense of being needed, rather than being told she was just a poor substitute for Haruno!
Making takoyaki with Asa filled Yukino with boundless warmth.
However, that warmth was quickly supplanted by other emotions. After an hour or two of careful work, they finally managed to produce a presentable batch of takoyaki.
Yukino tasted one of Asa's creations.
As the small ball entered her mouth, a steaming aroma wafted up, yet it wasn't too hot. The tender, juicy octopus meat blended perfectly with the seasoning, releasing a rich and tempting seafood fragrance.
At the same time, Yukino felt as if her very soul was being soothed and healed, and she was plunged into an unforgettable state of euphoria!
"Mmm~"
After a long while, Yukino finally exhaled in satisfaction. "It's incredibly delicious!" Her eyes were filled with amazement. It was a completely different experience from the takoyaki she'd eaten at a street stall today!
Asa, standing nearby, also tried one. It was indeed supremely delicious.
But… He discreetly glanced at the girl's chest. Sure enough, just like last time, the Exploding Clothes Cuisine effect hadn't been triggered.
Next, Yukino tasted one of the takoyaki she had made. She froze, a look of self-doubt crossing her eyes.
"This is so utterly ordinary…"
How could the taste difference be so huge when they had made them together? Yukino was completely baffled. She tried several more batches, unconvinced, but the result was the same. She probably would have kept trying if Asa hadn't said he needed to bathe and go to bed.
....
The next day.
Shuchi'in Elementary School, Cooking Room.
Kobayashi Touko was introducing today's cooking teacher.
The teacher had long white hair, delicate and defined facial features, and an elegant and noble demeanor—a mixed-race onee-san with a cosmopolitan flair!
"This is Nakiri Leonora, the director of the research department at the Totsuki Culinary Academy!"
"Nakiri-sensei will be teaching the cooking class for the rest of this semester…"
Asa looked at Nakiri Leonora on the stage, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. Totsuki Academy?
"So that also exists in this world…" If he remembered correctly, the name Nakiri Leonora belonged to Nakiri Alice's mother?
Moreover, Shuchi'in Academy must be quite wealthy. To hire someone of this caliber to teach elementary school cooking classes.
After the class homeroom teacher, Kobayashi Touko, left, the elementary students in the cooking room looked at Leonora on the platform with some nervousness. Although she was an impeccable beauty, her mixed-race features and imposing presence from her high-ranking position made them feel somewhat intimidated.
"Students, please begin your cooking preparations immediately."
"If you have any questions, you may ask me."
"I will provide guidance." Leonora spoke in a flat tone that sounded somewhat stiff, suggesting it wasn't her native language.
Leonora looked at the group of elementary students scrambling to begin their cooking, her expression detached. She wouldn't bother to be an elementary school cooking teacher at Shuchi'in unless they paid her exceptionally well and there wasn't much going on at Totsuki Academy recently.
They aren't even Totsuki students, and they're just elementary schoolers—what level of cooking could they possibly achieve?
"As long as it's edible, that'll do!" Leonora thought to herself.
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