The rice cooker in the kitchen was working, the pressure cooker was stewing soup, and there were several pieces of frozen pork in the freezer. Haizaki did not hesitate to thaw them and make stir-fried pork slices.
"Refrigerated cabinets, frozen meat, rice, flour, cooking oil, and some changes of clothes…"
With lunch preparations basically complete, Haizaki took advantage of the free time to start listing the supplies they needed to search for in the afternoon.
"In addition, we'll need to bring back some electronic equipment…"
There was fuel stored in the villa's underground diesel generator room, but the amount was limited. Haizaki could not wait until it was almost depleted before going out to obtain diesel.
"There are five rooms on the first floor. One room will be dedicated to freezer units, one for daily necessities, two for food supplies and water, and the remaining one as a backup…"
For safety and considering the quantity of frozen food that needed to be stored, Haizaki decided to bring back two freezer units today. Over the next three days, he would try to bring back two more and place them in the neighboring villa.
"On the second floor, two rooms will be used for living. Of the remaining two, one will be for storing clothes, and the other will be left empty for now…"
"As for the basement…"
There were two rooms in the basement. One was specifically for the diesel generator, while the other would remain empty for the time being.
Haizaki decided to renovate it over the course of the next month.
After spending a week in Japan and experiencing two major disasters—the massive earthquake and the eruption of Mount Fuji—Haizaki had developed a shadow over the natural disasters of this world.
He had no choice but to make some preventive preparations against possible future catastrophes.
When Utaha came down from the second floor, she could already smell the tempting aroma of meat at the staircase.
For nearly a week, she had barely eaten a proper meal.
Now that she caught the scent, her appetite was fully awakened, and her steps downstairs unconsciously quickened.
"You made stir-fried meat…"
"Yes. The first floor is basically taken care of. There were still some usable ingredients in the kitchen fridge, so I made something…"
Looking toward the kitchen, Utaha noticed the rice cooker still working.
Stir-fried meat paired with freshly cooked rice—it was simply perfect.
"This afternoon, I plan to go out and search for some essential supplies. I'll need your help."
Surprised by Haizaki's straightforward request for help, Utaha felt a bit caught off guard, but also somewhat pleased.
"No problem. I also wanted to go out and look for some clothes to change into. I hope you can spare some time to take me to Wuhua City's commercial district…"
On one hand, she did not know how to drive; on the other, she was unfamiliar with Wuhua City and had no idea where the commercial area was.
"That's no problem, but I hope that time-wise…"
"Do you think I'll spend a lot of time choosing?"
She snorted lightly, expressing her dissatisfaction with Haizaki.
"If I see something suitable, I'll just take it. It won't take much time at all."
"That's good."
Haizaki let out a sigh of relief. A few extra minutes did not matter, but if it dragged on for an hour or two, it would seriously affect the afternoon plan.
"Oh right, what do you need me to do?"
"I need to transport two freezer units back. They're pretty heavy, and it's inconvenient alone, so I'll need you to give me a hand."
The weight of something that made Haizaki ask for help was definitely beyond her imagination.
Utaha pressed her lips together.
With arms this slender, it seemed she would have to endure some training.
"Is that a problem?"
Seeing that the girl did not respond immediately, Haizaki asked at once.
It was not that he absolutely needed two people, but with two, it would be much easier.
"When did I ever say it was a problem? This isn't just your business. We're living together cooperatively now. If help is needed, I won't refuse to put in effort."
"Mm…"
"This is something I should do."
The rice cooker switched to warming mode.
Haizaki noticed the girl's gaze drifting toward the kitchen from time to time. Smiling inwardly, he stood up.
"Go wash your hands. We can start lunch…"
One dish, one soup, and a bowl of rice—a very simple lunch, yet the two of them ate with great enjoyment.
Utaha, sitting across from Haizaki, ate slowly and gracefully, while Haizaki did not display the frantic eating speed he once had in the apocalypse, where meals were finished in a minute.
Here, there was no need to rush.
Eating was also a rare moment of rest and calm.
"Thank you for the meal…" She gently set down her chopsticks and wiped the oil from the corner of her mouth with a tissue before speaking.
However, Haizaki noticed that Utaha's gaze still lingered on him. Was watching him eat that interesting? No, that was not it.
"Is there something you want to say?"
"I want to discuss how we'll handle our meals and cleaning from now on."
"I understand. I'll take care of the cleaning…"
"Hah…"
That was completely opposite to what she had in mind. But her eyes caught the fleeting smile on Haizaki's face, and she realized he was doing it on purpose.
Her unwillingness to lose and her pride immediately drove her to counterattack.
"No problem. I'll handle dinner!"
This clearly caught Haizaki off guard.
He had not expected Utaha to accept so easily.
Fine. It did not matter. If she handled the meals, he would happily enjoy the free time.
"Then it's settled. We'll officially set out in half an hour. There's still time to rest for a bit."
Haizaki began clearing the dishes.
Utaha did not say anything upon seeing this.
Cooking was just cooking—it was not that difficult.
That afternoon, Haizaki experienced exactly what Utaha meant by not spending much time choosing clothes.
Once a woman entered shopping mode, it was like activating a cheat—it simply would not stop.
"Kasumigaoka-san, isn't that enough already?"
"I'm giving you a legitimate chance to enter a women's lingerie store, and you're still complaining? Don't you have any interest in these sexy undergarments?"
Utaha did not mind Haizaki standing nearby at all. Her gaze wandered across the various styles of lingerie in the shop.
"If I wanted to come, I could anytime. The main issue is time…"
"And who was it just now that had me pushing and pulling that big, heavy thing, leaving my arms sore?"
She placed her left hand on her right arm and gently kneaded it.
Her eyes glanced meaningfully at Haizaki, the corners of her lips curved in a teasing smile.
This man's biggest weakness was his inability to withstand excessive teasing and provocation.
"I'll give you five more minutes."
At the very least, when moving the freezer units earlier, the girl had indeed done her best to help. Haizaki did not deny that.
"Mm…"
However, dinner made Haizaki realize something about Utaha—she simply could not cook.
As a result, he wisely chose to make it himself.
After just one bite of Utaha's dark cuisine, he decisively gave up.
…