(Extra chapter)
Kiyokawa Izumi and Kochou Shinobu walked side by side on the bluestone path, with a distance of about two fists between them.
"What's this?"
"Roasted Soybeans, want some?"
"Sure, she's paying!"
Kiyokawa Izumi pointed at Kochou Shinobu beside him and spoke with a natural expression.
The food stall owner was a middle-aged man; after a moment, he nodded, his gaze fixed on Kochou Shinobu.
Before she could pay, Kiyokawa Izumi appeared nearby again, his voice ringing out once more.
"What's Cold Sugar Water? Give me a bowl! Shinobu, come pay!"
Kiyokawa Izumi waved to Kochou Shinobu, who was still at the previous stall, and couldn't help but urge her.
After a slight hesitation, he changed his mind and said, "Actually, make it two bowls!"
Before Kochou Shinobu could respond, Kiyokawa Izumi was drawn to other food.
"They have roasted sweet potatoes here too? I've got to have two!"
He didn't see any familiar hamburgers, colas, or pizzas, but there were plenty of strange little snacks.
Kiyokawa Izumi didn't mind trying them, but what puzzled him was why Sister Shinobu's expression looked a bit sour.
Worried about the money?
That shouldn't be it.
Then, there was only one truth—she wanted to eat too!
Holding a pile of snacks in his arms, Kiyokawa Izumi looked at Kochou Shinobu strangely. "Do you want to eat too? Why didn't you buy some just now?"
Kochou Shinobu looked at him expressionlessly; this bastard was holding two portions of every snack.
It turned out the extra portion wasn't prepared for her.
It was just because he had a big appetite and one serving wasn't enough.
That was all.
"Want me to give you a bite? This so-called Cold Sugar Water is just sugar water with White Balls . I wondered what it was... I can give you a small bite, just a small one!"
Seeing her face wasn't quite right, Kiyokawa Izumi hesitated for a moment before speaking with a bit of conflict.
In terms of being inconsiderate, Kiyokawa Izumi was becoming increasingly so.
It wasn't that his emotional intelligence was actually that low.
He was just intentionally teasing the person in front of him.
He had originally intended to give her a bowl, but after eating, he felt it wasn't enough; by the time he snapped out of it, less than half a bowl remained.
"There's Soda!!"
Kiyokawa Izumi had only walked two steps when he realized Kochou Shinobu wasn't following, so he turned back in confusion.
Without Sister Shinobu to pay, how could he buy Soda?
Kochou Shinobu looked straight ahead and walked away on her own.
"You're going the wrong way, it's over here!"
Seeing that she still didn't turn back, Kiyokawa Izumi thought to himself—so she really did want to eat. It's fine, he could still share half a sweet potato.
To be fair, the sweet potatoes slow-roasted over charcoal were quite fragrant.
What Kiyokawa Izumi didn't know was that this commoner snack was actually quite popular.
He quickly caught up to Kochou Shinobu and broke off a small piece of Roasted Sweet Potato. "Try some? It's quite fragrant!"
Receiving no response, he continued to ask.
"Really not eating?"
"No!"
A faint smile hung on Kochou Shinobu's delicate face, but before she could finish speaking, she saw Kiyokawa Izumi reaching out.
"I know you want to eat it. Don't be shy, I'll feed you!"
Just as the fragrant sweet potato was about to touch her soft lips, the petite figure suddenly flashed, instantly putting distance between her and Kiyokawa Izumi.
"Mr. Kiyokawa Izumi, please don't be so polite. You should eat it yourself!"
"You used a Breathing Technique just now, didn't you?"
Kiyokawa Izumi looked at her strangely. Was using a Breathing Technique really necessary?
That's just cheating!
...What Kiyokawa Izumi never expected was that revenge would come so quickly and so suddenly.
"Just give it to him!"
Kiyokawa Izumi, holding a huge pile of things in his arms, struggled to poke his head out and asked helplessly, "What is it now? Are there really this many things to buy? Can't we give them to a Hidden Member and have them help send them back?"
"No! These are precious medicinal materials; they must be handled with care!"
Kochou Shinobu smiled slightly and gently patted Kiyokawa Izumi's shoulder. "You should be able to carry them, right?"
"If I say I can't, can I put them down?"
"No!"
The stacked paulownia wood boxes were half as tall as he was, and he could vaguely smell a faint, strange scent. Kiyokawa Izumi found it a bit strenuous to carry them.
"When are we going back?"
"It's a rare trip out. Mr. Kiyokawa Izumi, don't you want to walk around a bit more?"
Kiyokawa Izumi's lips twitched slightly.
Carrying all this stuff, how could he be in the mood to stroll around town?
Is it just because I didn't share some food with you?
How black-hearted!
"Can I buy a Soda to drink?"
"No, injured people can't drink Soda!"
"But what if I'm a bit thirsty? How about we just go back?"
"Weren't you going to buy a gift for Mr. Giyuu?"
"The gift can wait until next time. Giyuu definitely won't mind."
*Cough—*
With a light cough, a water flask was suddenly held to his lips, and a familiar, gentle voice spoke.
"Then let's go back!"
"Suddenly, I feel like I should still bring a gift back."
Kiyokawa Izumi felt he still had to prepare a gift for the Shut-in Boy, whether it was food or something else.
It's the thought that counts.
He had no other virtues besides being meticulous and considerate.
"It seems I've never seen your Life Qi."
Looking at the cheerful Kiyokawa Izumi, Kochou Shinobu suddenly spoke softly.
__________
A new bonus chapter is available at 700 energy stones, Half an hour remains until the end of the competition.