When Oliver woke up again, it was already completely dark outside. The scent of something delicious wafted from the kitchen, and he could hear someone busying themselves with pots and pans.
"Mm…?"
Oliver slowly sat up from the bed, rubbing his aching temples. The messy disaster from earlier was nowhere to be seen. The room was clean, and Haruko and Sakuragi were gone.
"Oof… My head hurts…"
He stood up and looked around in confusion.
He vaguely remembered Haruko and Sakuragi visiting one after the other… Sakuragi causing chaos as usual, and then he—well, he got so angry he passed out?
Oliver shook his head. Everything after that was a blur.
All he knew was that he had slept like a rock.
"Brother, you're awake!"
Hearing the noise from the living room, Qianhua—wearing an apron and holding a rice ladle—rushed out of the kitchen.
"Good evening, Chika…"
Oliver rubbed his head, still dazed.
"Where are Hanamichi and Haruko? Did they leave already?"
"Huh? They were here? I didn't see them."
Qianhua tilted her head in confusion.
"Oh… I guess they left after I passed out…"
Oliver glanced at the spotless kitchen and bathroom.
At least those two didn't dump the mess on him and run off. He breathed a sigh of relief. If Qianhua had come back to a disaster zone, he couldn't even imagine the consequences.
"The food is ready~!"
Qianhua emerged from the kitchen with a large casserole pot, beaming.
"I made fish soup for you today! It'll help you recover faster!"
One after another, she brought out additional dishes—fried loofah with egg, silky egg custard, soft fish noodles, and tofu—all light and easy to digest. She even reheated the croquettes Sakuragi had brought earlier.
"I thought you might not feel like eating too much, so I made things gentle on the stomach. Eat as much as you like. You need to nourish yourself!"
"Thanks, Chika. You're the best."
Oliver gave her a gentle pat on the head before serving himself a bowl of soup.
One sip—and the rich umami flavor exploded in his mouth.
The tofu and fish noodles were perfectly cooked, soaked in savory broth, and the warmth spread through his body instantly.
"Whoa… This is amazing!"
He gulped down another spoonful, his energy slowly returning. The loofah and egg dish was light and sweet, silky in texture—comfort food in its purest form.
"Chika, you're incredible. I feel like I'll be fully recovered by tomorrow at this rate!"
"I called Dad for the recipe," Qianhua said with a proud smile. "I even added some goji berries and herbs to help your body heal."
"You're a miracle worker. Forget Yamato Nadeshiko—you're the real deal!"
"Idiot! Eat slowly! No one's stealing it from you."
Despite scolding him, Qianhua's eyes sparkled with joy as she watched her brother eat with such appetite.
---
Ding dong~
The doorbell rang.
"Huh? Who's that?" Qianhua wiped her hands and walked over to the entrance. She opened the door and found Mito and the others standing outside, holding grocery bags.
"Hey, Chika-chan! We came to check on Oliver!"
"We even brought bananas!"
"Good evening, everyone," Qianhua said politely, bowing. "Please come in."
"…What are you guys doing here?" Oliver asked, surprised to see them.
"Well, we were playing pachinko nearby and thought we'd swing by."
"Whoa! What's that smell? It's incredible!"
Takamiya practically drooled at the aroma wafting from the kitchen.
"If you don't mind… would you like to join us for dinner?" Qianhua offered.
"Eh? Are you serious!? Then don't mind if we do!"
"I've been dreaming of Chika-chan's cooking forever!"
Takamiya and the others didn't hesitate. They pulled out chairs and crammed around the table with Oliver.
"Hey, seriously? You guys have no shame!"
"Come on, Oliver, don't be like that. We came to visit you out of kindness!"
Oliver sighed and took another sip of fish soup.
"I've had enough visitors for one day. Everyone so far has given me a headache."
Since there were more mouths to feed, Qianhua quickly prepared extra noodles and combined them with the leftover fish soup to make a hearty meal for the guests.
Slurp, slurp!
"Mmmm! Chika-chan, this is amazing!"
"I want to come here for dinner every day!"
"Absolutely not!" Oliver glared at them. "Qianhua's still a student. She's not your personal chef!"
"Okay, okay, don't be so stingy."
Takamiya wiped his mouth and looked around, satisfied.
"By the way, where's Hanamichi? Wasn't he supposed to be here?"
"We were going to visit him next," Mito explained. "Earlier, he called each of us, begging for help cleaning the gym."
Oliver blinked. "Cleaning the gym? Why?"
"No clue. Something about redeeming himself or proving he could handle it alone."
"Man, that gym is huge," Takamiya added. "Even if we all went, it would take forever to clean. He's crazy if he thinks he can do it alone."
"He said he didn't need us," Mito shrugged. "Said one gym was nothing for a man like him."
Oliver laughed. "That's so typical of him. Stubborn as always."
"So," Takamiya grinned. "Wanna go see how far he's gotten?"
"Me?"
Oliver paused to consider. He did feel much better after resting. His stomach was full, and the meal had revived him. A walk could help with digestion.
"Brother, you're not thinking of going out, are you?"
Qianhua popped out from the kitchen, her expression stern.
"Absolutely not! You're still recovering. You need rest, not a field trip with these goofballs!"
"Hey, hey, we're still right here, you know…"
"I'll be fine," Oliver said, patting her head. "Just a little walk. I promise not to overdo it."
Qianhua pouted. "Fine… but if you're not better by tomorrow morning, you're staying home the whole day!"
"Deal. I promise."
He grabbed his coat and followed Mito and the others to the door.
"Don't worry, Chika-chan," Mito called. "If he faints, we'll carry him home!"
"And we'll definitely be back for another meal!"
"Be careful…" Qianhua called softly, watching them disappear down the street.
She sighed and turned back inside.
"Sigh… You really know how to take advantage of your little sister's kindness…"
"What a cunning brother…"
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