With the clay pot covered, the braised pork only needed a little more simmering before it was ready. The pork rib and winter melon soup was about done too, so Ichin turned to preparing the two vegetable dishes—or rather, one purely vegetarian and one mixed with meat.
Just as he finished washing the pan and added oil, the kitchen door opened again.
He turned his head and, sure enough, it was Haruno again. Only this time, her hairstyle looked wild—like the kind of bedhead one woke up with after a rough night's sleep.
Seeing her like this, Ichin chuckled.
"Really now? You went and bragged about that kiss? You really think Utaha doesn't mind?"
"Hehe, you heard that?" Haruno grinned. "Don't worry, Utaha wasn't angry."
"Then what are you here for?"
"Hehehe~"
Seeing her mischievous smile, Ichin instinctively shuffled a step aside—creepy.
After quickly fixing her hair, Haruno tugged on his arm.
"Ichin, can you make me a bento tomorrow?"
"Huh?"
Ichin blinked in surprise.
"Doesn't your company have a cafeteria? Can't you just eat there?"
"I'm sick of it!" Haruno declared. "The cafeteria only rotates through the same few dishes. When they try to make Chinese food, it's a poor imitation—honestly, better not at all. As for the restaurants around the office? I've eaten at all of them already. I can't stand them anymore!"
"I see… so moving in next door really did have a lot of motives."
Scratching his head, Ichin switched off the stove, then pulled Haruno out of the kitchen. Looking over at Utaha and Yukino, he said:
"Utaha, Yukino, Haruno wants a bento. What are you two planning for lunch tomorrow? If you want bentos, I'll make them all at once in the morning. I'm not going to make just one for her—it'd be too much trouble."
Utaha smirked at Haruno.
"See? I told you, Ichin wouldn't make you a solo bento."
Haruno pouted, though not too seriously.
"Fine, as long as there's a bento, I'm happy."
Then Utaha smiled at Ichin.
"Ichin, we'll trouble you then! Yukino and I were planning to go to the city library tomorrow morning for some research, so you can just bring the bentos to the office. We'll meet you there at noon."
"Alright, it's settled then."
Seeing Yukino hesitating, Ichin reassured her.
"Come on, it's just a bento. Don't refuse. If I'm making one, I might as well make enough for everyone."
Before heading back into the kitchen, Ichin rolled his eyes at Haruno.
"Seriously, can't you learn from your sister? Being thick-skinned isn't something to be proud of."
Haruno stuck out her tongue at him, then plopped herself on the sofa to watch dramas with Utaha and Yukino.
Dinner was three dishes and a soup, enough to fill the four of them comfortably. Even the two cats got some scraps—chicken breast mixed with broth and kibble—after which they sprawled on the floor, stuffed.
Patting her stomach, Haruno leaned back on the sofa with a satisfied smile.
"Not bad at all. That braised pork was amazing. I think my taste buds are shifting toward Chinese food. Haven't touched miso soup in days."
Miso soup was nice, sure, but compared to the rich soups she had at Ichin's or his mother's, Haruno had no contest—she'd choose the latter every time.
Yukino nodded silently in agreement, then started counting on her fingers. She'd had three pieces of braised pork and quite a few ribs. That meant at least an extra half-hour of Ring Fit tonight.
Ichin, chewing on a toothpick, was also lost in the daze that came with being overly full.
Without realizing it, his cooking had improved a lot. He had originally just wanted to learn a few dishes so he wouldn't be stuck eating takeout while living alone. But years later, with the household situation having changed so drastically, he had also picked up most of his mother's recipes that she had developed over more than a decade.
It wasn't a bad feeling at all. Being a foodie himself, he genuinely enjoyed making delicious meals and sharing them with those around him. It was just like making games that players loved—it gave him the same kind of joy.
Since she had eaten a lot in Shanghai, Utaha was more restrained this evening and ended up being the only one not completely stuffed.
She brewed some tea and brought it over with a smile.
"Drink some to help digest. Oh right, Ichin, will you have enough ingredients for tomorrow's bentos?"
"Don't worry."
Ichin waved her concern aside.
"There's still some meat in the fridge. I'll go buy fresh ingredients in the morning, maybe some fish too. Actually, now that I think of it—I kind of want seafood. If there's fresh squid, how about I stir-fry some tomorrow? Spicy dishes are perfect in summer—they really whet the appetite."
The three girls all nodded in unison. Seafood was always welcome.
After resting an hour, Yukino drove back to her apartment to look after her own cats.
Haruno, of course, had no intention of heading back so early. She stayed at Ichin's, linking arms with Utaha as the two of them watched an evening idol drama, tossing out commentary as they went.
Ichin wasn't interested in that, so he retreated to his room to continue working on the unfinished Tales of Berseria project plan, while also sketching out ideas for the combat system.
The next morning, since he had to prepare bentos, Ichin set his alarm for 6:30 and went to bed early at 11. Early to bed, early to rise.
The alarm woke Utaha, who blinked at Ichin already out of bed. Pulling the blanket over her head, she mumbled,
"Ichin, it's so early…"
She and Haruno had stayed up past midnight watching TV, and by the time she washed up and got back to bed it was nearly one. She definitely hadn't had enough sleep.
Ichin gently ruffled her hair.
"Keep sleeping. I'll go do some exercise, then buy groceries. What do you want for breakfast?"
Hiding under the blanket, Utaha stayed quiet for a few seconds before replying,
"Anything's fine, just save me a little."
"Alright, I'll make you a sandwich. You can grab the milk yourself when you wake up."
With that, he left the room—morning workout, wash up, buy breakfast, finish it, then prep the bentos. By the time he was done, it was almost nine.
Calling Yukino to confirm she was up and on her way, Ichin packed several bentos into two bags, then stepped out and rang the doorbell of Haruno's apartment next door.
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