Kikukawa Kyo would make a terrible cafeteria lady. When she scooped up the chicken soup, she somehow managed to pile the bowl high with chicken meat—practically a whole meal in one ladleful.
A thin layer of white oil shimmered on the soup's surface, and the rich aroma, carried by the rising steam, was utterly mouthwatering.
Damn it… If I drink this, it'll feel like I've lost.
But in the end, Sakiko couldn't resist. She took a sip, and as the piping hot broth touched her tongue, a wave of warmth spread through her entire body, leaving a deep, satisfying comfort. The tender chicken, the smooth, flavorful soup, and the lingering umami made it impossible for her to stop.
"…It's delicious."
Defeat.
After that first taste, Sakiko's initial resistance faded, and she began to truly savor the meal.
While Sakiko was focused on her soup, Yuu took the opportunity to sneak a wink at her little sister—Yep, only you could pull this off.
Kyo, however, didn't even notice Yuu's exaggerated signals. She simply watched as Sakiko, who had stopped resisting, quietly ate every last piece of chicken and drank every drop of soup. But instead of looking satisfied, Kyo let out a sigh.
Yuu was confused. Why sigh? Didn't you just win her over? But knowing she was an outsider in whatever dynamic these two had, she decided to just sit back and watch the showdown unfold.
Sakiko ate with impeccable manners—elegant, refined, yet astonishingly efficient. It was a strange contrast, like two completely different worlds leaving their marks on the same person.
After finishing her bowl, Sakiko instinctively licked her lips, only to catch herself mid-motion and pull back.
"How was it?" Kyo poured herself a bowl of soup, shooting an exasperated look at Yuu, who had shoved a mountain of side dishes onto her plate. She hadn't even eaten yet—she had spent the whole morning just learning how to make this soup.
"It was very good. I don't cook myself, so I can only describe it from a simple perspective." Sakiko started with a polite compliment before moving into detailed feedback—praising the broth's smooth texture, pointing out where the seasoning was just right, and noting a few areas where the flavors could be improved.
If that had been all, it would've been a perfectly normal exchange. But Sakiko's tone was strictly businesslike, detached. After all, Kyo had used feedback as an excuse to make her drink the soup in the first place.
And that—was exactly why Kyo had sighed earlier.
Even with their so-called "contract" in place, Sakiko still insisted on acting like this. If she had simply rejected Kyo's help outright, that would've been one thing. Kyo knew forcing money on her would be an insult. But even something as small as sharing a bowl of soup—Sakiko refused to accept it without making it a transaction. Wasn't that taking things a little too far?
"Sakiko, why are you still so stubborn?" Kyo took a sip of her own soup. As someone who always drank the most soup at every meal, there was no way she hadn't already figured out its strengths and weaknesses.
"This is really heartbreaking, you know—"
Sakiko, realizing her thoughts had been seen through, softened ever so slightly. But only a little. "I just don't want to owe you too much."
Wait, what?
Yuu, who had been right there listening, suddenly felt completely invisible. It wasn't just that she couldn't get a word in—at this point, she felt like she shouldn't even be here.
Just as she was desperately trying to come up with an excuse to escape, the bookstore's front doorbell rang.
"Ahem! Sounds like a customer. You two keep eating, I'll go check the store." Grabbing the perfect opportunity, Yuu bolted from the break room without even waiting for a response.
"…She ran so fast. Guilty conscience?" Kyo watched her sister flee and could already guess what was going through her head. She seriously still thinks Sakiko and I are a couple?
"Forget her." Kyo turned back to Sakiko, determined to continue their conversation. "Why do you insist on keeping everything so strictly transactional, Sakiko?"
"You already know why." Sakiko clearly didn't want to talk about it.
"Yeah, yeah. Out of everyone besides my family, I probably know you best by now."
After all, she had seen a part of Sakiko's heart—through the water.
"…Huh?"
Do I really hold that much weight in Kikukawa Kyo's heart…?
Sakiko's eyes widened. Did that mean her place in Kyo's heart was second only to her family?
"I'm not trying to force you or anything. But if you really see this as some kind of one-sided charity, why not give me something in return?"
When dealing with Sakiko, the key was to speak in a way that aligned with her sense of balance—framing things around equivalence, obligations, and mutual benefit.
—Excerpt from Kikukawa Kyo's Guide to Handling Sakiko.
"How about bringing me a drink whenever we meet? Anything's fine—I'm not picky when it comes to water."
"...That's all?"
"Mm-hmm. Until you make it big, you've got to at least give me something in return, right?" Kyo mimed holding a cup. "Besides, my definition of 'novelty' is pretty broad. For now, anything you personally pick for me will feel new—after all, it's not like I've received many gifts from you before."
"Is this… another contract?" Sakiko asked hesitantly.
"If that's how you want to think about it, sure. I'm not forcing you to change your perspective. We can just stick to a contractual relationship."
Kyo had no problem keeping things that way. It meant she wouldn't have to overthink anything.
And honestly, wasn't this what Sakiko had wanted from the beginning? Just a practical, mutually beneficial arrangement?
Yet, the moment Kyo said it outright—that they could simply maintain a contractual relationship—Sakiko felt an instinctive rejection rise within her.
She didn't want their relationship to be so cold and impersonal.
The thought made Sakiko curse herself internally. You turned down Miss Yuu's kindness without hesitation, but now you don't want your relationship with Kyo to be purely transactional? Isn't that just double standards?
Kyo, watching Sakiko's silence, didn't push further.
After last time, she had come to realize that her understanding of Sakiko's emotions had been too shallow—limited to Sakiko's excessive pride. Right now, on the surface, it looked like Sakiko was just being stubborn out of self-respect.
But… what if there was more to it than that?
Whatever. Let's just eat first.
Though, looking at the sheer amount of food her sister had ordered, even if she managed to convince Sakiko to share, there was no way they'd finish everything.
And knowing Sakiko, she'd probably make sure we don't waste anything… which means I'll be the one suffering in the end.
Kyo ate slowly, often letting her food sit in her mouth before chewing and swallowing. It was a habit that made her go through saliva pretty fast, so after just a few bites, she instinctively reached for some water.
But before she could stand up, an unopened bottle of mineral water appeared in front of her.
"This is all I have right now," Sakiko said, deliberately avoiding Kyo's gaze as she poked at her bento with her chopsticks.
"This is perfect! Like I said, I'll take any kind of water." Kyo took the bottle and immediately drank from it in front of Sakiko. The sheer satisfaction on her face as she drank—like she was absorbing happiness itself—made Sakiko's tangled emotions smooth out, just a little.
"I'll bring you different drinks next time."
Sakiko wasn't even aware of it herself, but whenever Kyo looked her way, she always reflexively avoided her gaze—yet at the same time, she found it impossible to ignore Kyo's presence.
And right now, as she watched Kyo drink, a soft, almost dreamy smile unconsciously appeared on Sakiko's lips.
If we were looking at this from an outsider's perspective, we might need to give our thanks to Miss Kikukawa Kyo for being utterly oblivious to vibes.
Because if she ever did pick up on the atmosphere woven into these little moments, Sakiko would probably be so mortified she'd explode on the spot.