Chapter 258 - Renren: Kanata... do you really not have any thoughts about this?
After the slapstick routine subsided, the four of them began moving the groceries from the front gate into the orphanage.
"My ears are still ringing. Touka, you yelled way too loud!" Renren complained, carrying a heavy box in both hands.
"That's your fault for saying such ridiculous things, Renren!" Touka retorted, her cheeks puffing out in dissatisfaction.
"Huh? What did I say?" Renren asked, feigning innocent confusion.
"Never mind! If you can't hear, that's fine by me." Touka let out a tsundere hmph, deliberately quickening her pace and marching inside with her bags to avoid looking at the other girl.
With their combined efforts, the mountain of groceries at the door was cleared away in no time.
"Thank you, Roy!" Touka smiled gratefully. Having run back and forth from the gate to the pantry three times, a thin layer of sweat glistened on her forehead.
"What would you guys like to drink?" Touka rummaged through one of the grocery bags and pulled out a few different bottled beverages.
"This is fine, thanks." Roy accepted a bottle of iced milkshake from Touka and took a refreshing sip.
"What about me?" Renren asked.
Touka paused, thought for a second, and then directly shoved a can of unsweetened black coffee into Renren's hands without giving her a choice.
"Then why did you even ask me?!" Renren glared at Touka with deep resentment.
"I thought your hearing wasn't good enough to hear the options," Touka replied vindictively.
"Touka, you're definitely taking revenge! Just because I pointed out your secret strategy to flash your underwear and leave a deep impression on him—"
"Quiet!"
Remembering how she had nearly exposed her most private areas to a boy she had just met, Touka's brief moment of calm evaporated.
Her fair face flushed brilliant red, the color spreading all the way down her neck.
Mortified, she delivered a swift, embarrassed chop right onto the top of Renren's head.
"Ouch!" Renren yelped.
Kanata sighed softly from the sidelines. She felt a bit secondhand embarrassment, but her strict upbringing kept her demeanor perfectly elegant.
She simply watched the comedy unfold, not intending to intervene.
"Please don't listen to her nonsense, Roy. Don't take it to heart," Touka quickly turned to Roy to explain, though she was so embarrassed she couldn't even meet his eyes.
"I won't," Roy smiled and nodded.
Touka quickly looked away.
She felt a phantom chill around her skirt and instantly regretted her wardrobe choices.
Why did I wear that sexy pair today of all days? If I had just worn safety shorts, this disaster would never have happened!
What if Roy really thinks I did it on purpose?
Thanks to Renren's teasing, Touka was a bundle of nerves.
She secretly stole a glance at Roy, her face blushing unconsciously when she saw his handsome, relaxed expression.
Amidst her worry about him misunderstanding, there was also a faint, unknown sense of expectation fluttering in her chest..one she didn't quite understand herself.
"By the way, Kanata," Touka said, desperately changing the subject.
"There are still some rooms that haven't been cleaned. Let's take a short rest, then we can go help."
"Those rooms? They're all cleaned," Kanata replied calmly.
"Huh?" Touka blinked in surprise. "I wasn't gone that long, and there was still a massive amount of work left when I left. How did you guys finish so fast?"
"Didn't I just tell you?" Renren rubbed her head and grinned.
"It's all thanks to Roy. He helped us solve the rest with his Noble Art!"
"Ikr!" Utakata Misogi chimed in, appearing from the hallway.
"Should've told me earlier." Touka complained, rolling her eyes at Renren.
"Anyway, we have Roy to thank for finishing days worth of chores in an instant," Renren cheered. "Now we can just relax and have fun for the next few days!"
"Don't just think about playing around. The school term is starting soon, and the Council will have a lot of official work to do," Touka lectured gently.
"I know, I know," Renren waved her hand perfunctorily. She popped open the black coffee and took a sip, her face immediately scrunching up in bitter agony.
Seeing this, Touka couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, then I'll start preparing dinner. Roy, you should stay and try my cooking."
Although it was only mid afternoon, preparing dinner for the entire orphanage took a lot of time and effort. It was a massive undertaking, so they had to start early.
"Sounds good," Roy nodded.
After resting in the courtyard for a while, the group moved to the backyard.
There was an open air stove and prep station here, as cooking a massive pot of rice and prepping that many ingredients was too cramped for the indoor kitchen.
Ikazuchi Saijou and Utakata, having finally escaped the mob of energetic children, collapsed into the ground to catch their breath.
Touka greeted the kids affectionately for a few minutes before tying on an apron and getting to work.
"Roy, your knife skills are incredible!"
While the others were tasked with washing vegetables, Roy and Touka were in charge of the chopping. Seeing the blur of Roy's knife as he perfectly julienned the vegetables,
Touka couldn't help but smile. "I've been meaning to ask... Roy, do you practice kendo?"
"Yes. Could you tell? Senpai" Roy asked with a smile.
"Just call me Touka," she said, her eyes softening.
"And yes. When I first saw you, I felt a... throbbing intuition. You must be an incredibly strong swordsman."
As a master swordswoman herself, she possessed a keen instinct. She had sensed the sharp, hidden edge within Roy the moment they met.
"Touka's instincts are as sharp as ever," Utakata called out from the pavilion. "When I first met Roy, I heard that the Sword Eater from Donrou Academy wanted to challenge him."
"The Sword Eater?" Touka murmured. As a Top 4 semi finalist from the last Seven Star Sword Art Festival, she naturally knew how dangerous Kuraudo Kurashiki was.
"Alright, Utakata, you've washed enough. Go rest," Touka said, smoothly taking the vegetables from the short boy.
"Are you trying to drive me away so I can't help?" Utakata joked. "Or is it intentional? Are you trying to get rid of me so you and Roy can have some private time?"
"There's no private time in an open courtyard!" Touka shot back. "Besides, Utakata, with your height, you can barely reach the stove anyway!"
"Don't look down on me!" Utakata protested indignantly. "If I stand on a stool, I can totally help!"
"Wait, Touka, did you notice you didn't deny the private time part?" Utakata suddenly realized.
"Why do you talk so much?!" Flustered, Touka grabbed Utakata by the collar and practically tossed him back into the ground, before quickly returning to the stove, her face burning.
Sitting at the prep table, Renren watched Roy and Touka cooking together.
The atmosphere between them was incredibly natural, flowing smoothly as if they had been a married couple for years.
Renren sighed, turning to look at Kanata, who was sitting elegantly on a bench, sipping black tea. "Kanata... do you really not have any thoughts about this?" she asked, her tone slightly resentful.
"Thoughts about what?" Kanata paused, looking genuinely bewildered. "Why do I feel like you've been speaking in riddles all day?"
"Ugh, never mind!" Renren sighed tiredly.
She suddenly felt like she was the only one stressing over nothing. Roy hadn't actually shown any explicit romantic interest in Kanata, and Kanata was completely oblivious.
Maybe her grand matchmaking schemes were just wishful thinking after all.
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