When Eriri knocked on the door, Sen Getsusa was sweating profusely in the gym.
The one who opened the door for her was Yuno Gasai—
This girl with long pink hair had it tied into two braids at the back, which were perfectly symmetrical with Eriri's, one high and one low.
Oh no!
This is bad!
I forgot Tsukisa said she was living with Yuno Gasai...!!
Look at my own outfit: large-framed glasses covered half my face, and unkempt hair was messy on my forehead and cheeks;
A dark green tracksuit, no socks on my feet, and I'm even wearing slippers... My image!!
Eriri roared silently in her heart, her face pale, her expression dejected all the way.
She walked to the gym door with Yuno Gasai and heard the 'clang, clang' of iron colliding inside.
That was Sen Getsusa exercising.
The girl was currently wearing black shorts and a sports vest, lying on a dumbbell bench and lifting weights.
The intense anaerobic exercise dyed her fair skin with a layer of crimson, and beads of sweat slid down her skin.
With the movement, the streamlined muscles of her arms slightly bulged and contracted.
The girl's panting sounds quietly entered the ears of the two girls.
It had to be said that this scene was truly a feast for the eyes.
As a senior 'expert in identifying eye candy,' the artist Miss Eriri could not find any fault with the scene before her.
Those... Ehehehe.
What a big... barbell.
(?'?`?)
Yuno Gasai turned her head, following this blonde bastard's gaze inch by inch—was she looking at Sen Getsusa's... lower abdomen?
Or somewhere else?
Yuno Gasai narrowed her eyes dangerously, leaned down, and quietly approached Eriri, who was staring blankly at Sen Getsusa.
"Does it look good?"
Ah!
A scream interrupted the sound of the barbell and Sen Getsusa's rapid breathing.
She put away the equipment, sat up from the bench, and while wiping her face with the towel on her shoulder, waved at Eriri—
The latter pouted, turning her head away with a look of displeasure, not even looking at the snickering Yuno Gasai beside her.
"I haven't seen you all holiday, why did you run over today~"
Sen Getsusa went behind the girl and, while she wasn't paying attention, reach out with a grin to touch Eriri's ponytail, speaking even as the other gave her a look of disdain.
"My family is having another banquet tomorrow, so I came to your place to hide.
Hey, my room is still kept for me, right? You didn't let anyone else stay there, did you?"
Reluctantly pulling back her hair, Eriri glared at Yuno Gasai.
She didn't realize that her words carried a faint trace of hostility.
Sen Getsusa nodded readily: "Of course, but we've moved. Eriri's things are all in the room I picked out; you can stay once you tidy up a bit."
Humph.
Eriri tossed her head. When she was pulled down to sit by Sen Getsusa, she saw Yuno Gasai pour a glass of water for Sen Getsusa and hand it over with a smile.
Sen Getsusa took the water glass and introduced the two girls:
"This is Yuno Gasai,
This is Eriri Spencer Sawamura.
You both know each other, right?"
"Oh."
"Yeah."
Sen Getsusa:...The two people speaking looked at each other at the same time.
Eriri snatched the water glass Sen Getsusa had just taken a sip from and gulped down a large mouthful, then looked up at Yuno Gasai provocatively:
"Gasai-san, I heard you've been living at Tsukisa's house for a long time?
Why, can't you go back to your own home?"
Sen Getsusa was a little puzzled by Eriri's tone, but when she turned her head, Yuno Gasai unhurriedly picked up the glass Eriri had just drunk from.
Yuno was in no hurry to reply, cradling the glass in her palm: "No, Tsukisa was too lonely by herself, so I'm staying here to keep her company."
After saying that, she casually picked up the white tablecloth on the table and carefully wiped the rim of the glass.
It was as if something dirty had been stuck on it.
Seeing Yuno Gasai's actions, Eriri's hand under the table suddenly clenched. With a look of displeasure, she turned to ask Sen Getsusa: "She just lives here like this? For how long?"
How long?
Sen Getsusa was puzzled by Eriri's unusual state but still replied: "A few weeks. Why?"
I don't know why either.
Ever since Eriri saw Yuno Gasai, she felt strange, and her heart always felt odd.
Especially seeing her affectionately holding Sen Getsusa's hand, her arm rubbing against Sen Getsusa's... "Humph. I'm going to pack my things first! I want to eat eel rice today!"
Swinging her ponytails as she pitter-pattered away, Yuno Gasai had a strange expression, while Sen Getsusa didn't understand the girl's actions today.
Just who is the Master here... Truly a young lady.
"I'll do it." Seeing this, Yuno Gasai spoke considerately: "I've been cooking for Tsukisa lately, and my skills have improved."
Sen Getsusa shook her head: "It's too much trouble, we'd have to go out and buy ingredients. Let's just have curry; it's more convenient."
"Yuno just finished kendo class, so take a break these few days; school is about to start." Sen Getsusa said gently.
By today, there was very little of the holiday left, and in a few days, it would be the high school entrance ceremony.
A few days ago, Sen Getsusa had received a message from Aki Tomoya, saying he was working at a maid cafe and had saved up quite a bit of money over the holiday.
Sen Getsusa: It's not a matter of money... Why the hell are you working at a maid cafe!
Sen Getsusa complained about this otaku online, but the other party seriously said he was a cashier in charge of collecting fees, and the income was much higher than typical part-time jobs, and so on.
——Only occasionally, when they were short-staffed, would he participate as a guest worker, and he even urged Sen Getsusa to come and support his work if she had nothing to do.
Finally, the other party emphasized that if she visited, she must not bring anything gold.
Sen Getsusa hadn't planned on going at all... Drawing back her thoughts, Yuno Gasai sat before her, looking gentle and soft, her voice overflowing with indulgence: "Let's just have eel rice. I'm not tired; buying ingredients later will be like taking a walk."
It's rare that Sawamura-san wants to eat it. As... half a mistress of this house, how could I not satisfy her?
Tsukisa, what do you want to eat?"
"The same. I'll go with you."
Sen Getsusa didn't give Yuno Gasai a chance to argue further, standing up and heading into the bathroom.
Behind the corridor, Eriri, who hadn't left, had an even stranger expression—what was wrong with her?
And besides, who is half a mistress!
Bastard, I've known Sen Getsusa years longer than you!!
—The silly young lady stomps off in anger—
In the end, they still had eel rice for dinner.
Or rather, something that resembled eel rice.
Under Eriri's strong self-recommendation, Sen Getsusa finally reluctantly agreed to the'suggestion' of her acting as an assistant and Yuno Gasai as the head chef.
Of course, even Aki Tomoya understood this, and there was no way Sen Getsusa didn't—this shut-in artist couldn't cook to save her life.
She was purely joining in for the fun.
Several eels went into the kitchen, never to return in their original form.
Sen Getsusa watched helplessly as a plate of fine eel, with Miss Sawamura's 'all-out' assistance... turned into eel porridge.
Later, she gave her 'all' again.
The eel porridge became eel soup.
Yuno Gasai had no choice but to take the curry out of the refrigerator again, turn on the stove, and make three portions of curry rice.
Served with eel soup.
During the meal, the atmosphere at the table was a bit eerie.
Sitting next to Sen Getsusa, Eriri had lost the arrogance she'd shown while interfering with the cooking; she kept her head down, shoveling rice into her mouth, not even touching the bowl of soup.
"You really are..."
Speaking of which, Sen Getsusa understood Eriri's personality; the most interesting thing about this girl... was how she would get angry at herself.
Smiling, Sen Getsusa ladled a bowl of soup and placed it in front of the girl: "Alright now~ it's perfectly normal. When I used to cook, I once set the kitchen on fire."
Eriri huffed—she clearly could have done a good job!
"I just misread it! Who told you not to label the sugar and salt? Since I put in the wrong seasoning, of course I had to add water to dilute it..."
Isn't painting just like that?
Sen Getsusa pointed at the eel soup: "I'll accept that you used the wrong seasoning. Confusing sugar and salt is excusable, but what were you trying to do by putting chunks of ginger in there?"
Eriri looked in surprise at the yellow lumps floating in the bowl: "Aren't those potatoes?"
Sen Getsusa:...There's even fuzz on the ginger skin, are you blind?!
Promise me, Eriri.
Just stick to painting with your hands.
"I just wanted to make something for you to eat too."
Unable to hear Eriri's mumbles clearly, Sen Getsusa coaxed her through the meal like a Child, and only then did she have a moment to rest.
To be honest, it was more tiring than training in the gym for an entire afternoon.
Suddenly, Sen Getsusa felt a sense of saturation from her magical void.
「Charging Complete」
The young girl smiled and spread her hands.
Time for a trip.
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