Grey's lips curved into a gentle smile. "Well? Am I treating you pretty well, Mr. Archer?"
"Heh… you really are…"
Archer instantly "accepted reality."
So Grey really had recognized him.
Which meant everything just now was Grey treating him like an idiot for fun?!
Grey, you deserve a thousand cuts!
That was what Archer screamed inside his head. Outwardly, though, he plastered on a grateful smile and spoke like he'd been granted mercy. "Yes, yes—thank you, Gym Leader Grey!!"
The word "thank you" practically got forced out through clenched teeth. At this point, Archer didn't want to say a single extra word to Grey.
If he kept talking, he might actually cough up three liters of blood.
"Food's here! Oh—did we get another customer?"
Nelly walked over just then with a tray.
All BBQ rice bowls.
They looked like they were seasoned with salt and pepper.
"Here, try my cooking. Sabrina, don't be shy—if it's not enough, just tell me, okay~"
Nelly spun in like a whirlwind and slammed the bowls down with three loud clunks.
Then she hopped onto the tall stool at the counter, propped her chin in her hands, and watched the three of them eat.
"Mmm…"
Grey scooped up a heaping spoonful and stuffed it into his mouth, sauce smearing on the corner of his lips and him not even bothering to wipe it. "Nice. This is the taste."
He gave Nelly a big thumbs-up, praising her without holding back. "Your heat control's exactly like his used to be."
"Obviously~"
Nelly twirled a strand of hair smugly, then planted her hands on her hips and lifted her chin. "I squeezed every last drop out of the old man's secret recipe!"
Then she looked at Sabrina and blinked. "Sabrina—does this BBQ rice bowl suit your taste?"
"It's fine."
Sabrina's answer was two flat words.
For her, that counted as the highest level of praise.
And honestly… Nelly's food really was good.
No wonder Grey had brought her here.
"Hehe—right? Right?" Nelly beamed. "If you ever want to learn, come by when you've got time. I can teach you how to make it. Grey used to eat here all the time—like an NPC or something. Three meals a day, every day."
Nelly remembered back when the old man could still work. Grey would "spawn" at the same time every day like clockwork, sit down like the seat was permanently assigned to him, and bury three giant bowls without lifting his head.
It was just that Grey had gotten busier and busier. These days he handled breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the dojo, so he came here far less often.
The moment Nelly saw Sabrina—plus the fact she occasionally watched Grey's streams—she'd basically guessed what was going on.
Living together.
And the two of them clearly looked like the type of Trainers who couldn't cook. Most days it was either delivery, or Bumiao handling the meals.
So Nelly figured she might as well teach Sabrina a few things.
If those two kept ordering delivery every day, it couldn't be healthy long-term.
"Then… I'll be relying on you," Sabrina said. "That would really help me."
She'd been worrying about wanting to cook but not knowing how.
Seeing how much Grey liked this food, she wanted to learn a few dishes too—she just hadn't known how to bring it up.
Nelly being so proactive made Sabrina feel a small, unexpected warmth. It was like a gentle current flowing through her chest.
"No need to thank me. Grey's friends are my friends." Nelly grinned, leaning closer. "Oh—and if Grey ever dares to bully you, you tell me, okay? I'll stand up for you!"
She smiled as she reached over and smacked Sabrina's shoulder in a friendly way.
The more Nelly looked at Sabrina, the more she liked her.
Honestly… she was kind of adorably awkward.
It made you want to take care of her.
"…Okay."
Sabrina gave a small nod.
"Hey—are you sure it's not her bullying me?"
Off to the side, Grey's mouth twitched. "Look at me—how am I supposed to win a fight against Sabrina? Be real. If she hits me with psychic power, I'm basically done."
If he didn't use aura, that was honestly true.
Grey trained regularly, sure—but against someone as absurdly "broken" as Sabrina, he lost most of the time.
Sabrina's individual combat power being comparable to an Elite Four–level Pokémon was basically League consensus.
Even if Bruno showed up, there was a chance he'd get dropped in one move.
There was no helping it—Sabrina really was that ridiculous.
Stats monster plus mechanics monster. If a Pokémon were built like that… it was hard to even imagine how nasty it would be.
At that point, Psychic-types as a whole would probably skyrocket in average strength—like collecting taxes five hundred years in advance.
"Hmph. I don't care." Nelly waved a hand. "Soft, sweet Sabrina doesn't get to be bullied by you!"
The way she addressed Sabrina shifted instantly, and Sabrina didn't even process it at first.
Going from "Gym Leader Sabrina" to "Sabrina" that fast was… a pretty big leap.
Sabrina only nodded blankly, but the tips of her ears quietly turned pink.
That kind of overwhelming warmth and friendliness was so unfamiliar to her that she didn't know what to do with herself.
It was the first time someone had treated her with this much open enthusiasm.
And strangely…
It felt nice.
She lowered her head and ate, unconsciously curling a strand of hair around her finger.
Her long hair—usually held up with psychic power—now fell smoothly beside the plate, swaying lightly with each bite.
"Grey, eat your food. Why are you staring at Sabrina?" Nelly said. "Did she capture your heart already?"
"Nope." Grey calmly shoveled another bite of rice. "There's a grain stuck at the corner of her mouth."
"?"
Sabrina's pupils flashed with a faint blue glow. She used psychic power to scan her face—only to find nothing there.
"Just kidding. Keep eating," Grey said, laughing so hard his shoulders shook as he dropped his head and kept eating.
"You're seriously the worst!" Nelly snorted.
Then she turned, wanting to chat with Archer—only to see that this "customer" hadn't even touched his bowl.
He was sitting bolt upright, like he was attending an execution banquet.
"Sir, is my food not to your taste?" Nelly blinked. "I mean… sometimes my BBQ rice bowl can be a bit intense, but it shouldn't be so bad you won't even take a bite."
"N-no, it's not that. I was just thinking about something. I'll eat right now."
Archer immediately lowered his head and started eating, while constantly stealing glances at Grey.
"Why are you looking at me?" Grey narrowed his eyes, idly rolling his fist. "Do I make your food taste better or something?"
"N-no. Not at all."
Archer didn't even dare look anymore. He finished the entire bowl in a blur.
And Grey and Sabrina had already finished too—both of them staring straight at Archer.
"?"
Seeing their expressions, Archer's face stiffened into something miserable.
Oh no. This isn't actually my last meal, is it?
"Mr. Archer," Grey said with a smile, "since you just bought that 'Governor' for me, I'll give you two options."
He continued, still smiling. "One is force, the other is words. Pick one."
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