Watching Shikime Natsu deftly arrange those gleaming silver spatulas in the kitchen — the countertop already neatly lined with all manner of fresh ingredients — Morishita Ai had been sitting. But the moment those violet eyes of hers caught Yamamura Miki rising to her feet as though intending to help, Morishita Ai stood up as well and came to Shikime Natsu's side alongside her.
Noticing the approach of the two lovely girls, before Shikime Natsu could even open his mouth, Morishita Ai lifted her chin slightly, crossed her arms, and met his gaze.
"The benevolent Morishita Ai has decided to lend Shikime Natsu a small hand. Shikime Natsu need not feel grateful — this is merely the occasional mercy a kind soul bestows upon a hardworking employee."
Morishita Ai was a kind girl.
"Um... Shiki-san, please — we'd very much like to help."
Yamamura Miki spoke up from the side. Both of them were saying the same thing, yet the way they said it could not have sounded more different.
Shikime Natsu paused his work and turned to glance at the two lovely girls beside him — a faint smile still on his face — then casually reached into the ingredient basket and produced a round, plump object, holding it out toward Morishita Ai.
"In that case, I'll leave these onions to you, Morishita-san."
The last time Morishita Ai and Yamamura Miki had visited his dorm, none of the dishes he'd prepared contained onions — adding onions today was purely a spur-of-the-moment idea. Back then, he had originally planned to have Morishita Ai handle the onions, but he'd gone soft at the last second and switched it to garlic peeling instead.
This time, however, Shikime Natsu's mischievous streak had gotten the better of him. Of course, if Morishita Ai knew what he was up to, the prank wouldn't be able to proceed.
Upon hearing her assigned task, Morishita Ai gave a small nod, took the onion and kitchen knife Shikime Natsu passed over without a second thought, and made to start immediately — that cool, aloof little face of hers utterly without guard.
Yamamura Miki, watching from the side, let out a startled cry and quickly moved to stop her.
"W-wait a moment! Morishita-san!"
She quickly began to explain.
"If you cut an onion directly, it releases a gas that makes your eyes water. You should put it in the freezer for a few minutes first, then take it out and soak it in water, then hold it steady and cut it slice by slice — but don't cut all the way through. The less exposed surface that touches the air, the better..."
Listening to Yamamura Miki's explanation, Shikime Natsu couldn't help but feel a twinge of resignation. She had clearly dealt with onions before. What a shame — it looked like the prank wasn't going to work out after all.
On the other side, Morishita Ai had also gone still, knife hovering just short of the onion. Her gaze slowly turned toward Shikime Natsu.
Those violet eyes of hers were filled with the righteous fury of one who had been betrayed. She leveled an accusation at him.
"I never imagined Shikime Natsu would be such a heartless ingrate. Morishita Ai came here out of the goodness of her heart to help you, and yet Shikime Natsu would resort to such contemptible scheming — all to see Morishita Ai make a fool of herself under tear gas. That is truly unforgivable."
Morishita Ai had fully expected to see disappointment and embarrassment on Shikime Natsu's face now that the prank had been foiled. In her view, having one's scheme exposed was the greatest agony a villain could suffer.
But to her surprise, Shikime Natsu merely gave a quiet laugh, his hands never stopping their work, and replied in a perfectly relaxed tone.
"I never had any intention of watching Morishita-san embarrass herself. I believe I simply said from the very beginning that I'd leave the onions to Morishita-san, didn't I? I assumed Morishita-san would naturally know how to handle them."
No matter how nonchalant Shikime Natsu acted, Morishita Ai's gut told her with absolute certainty that this guy had been planning a thoroughly outrageous prank all along — just to see her humiliate herself and have a good laugh at her expense. Shikime Natsu was a truly terrible person.
Just as she had always suspected — Shikime Natsu was her nemesis for life!
At that moment, Yamamura Miki timidly spoke up from the side, trying to smooth things over.
"Um... Shiki-san really didn't intend to embarrass Morishita-san. He simply wanted some help..."
Hearing this blatantly biased defense, Morishita Ai turned her head once more and fixed her friend with a sharp stare, her tone grave.
"Yamamura Miki, let me ask you one last time — whose side are you actually on? I'm starting to think you've been completely brainwashed by this Shikime Natsu character."
"Huh? I— I haven't."
Caught off guard by Morishita Ai's blunt words, Yamamura Miki hastily moved to explain, the fair skin of her neck flushing a delicate pink — looking altogether quite adorable.
"I had always thought of Morishita-san as someone quite dependable. Don't tell me Morishita-san doesn't even know something like this? My apologies — it seems I had a somewhat inflated opinion of Morishita-san."
Shikime Natsu watched Morishita Ai with a soft laugh, those pale golden eyes of his brimming with amusement.
Morishita Ai let out a cold snort in his direction.
"Shikime Natsu, this sort of cheap provocation is far too juvenile for the likes of me. It cannot shake my will, which is as unyielding as ice."
That said, Morishita Ai did not continue to dwell on the subject. Instead, she took the onion and began examining it with genuine intent.
She had heard the legend that chopping onions made people cry, of course, but Morishita Ai had never truly witnessed such a thing with her own eyes. She had always assumed it was nothing more than dramatic exaggeration — the kind cartoons used for comic effect.
In the name of empirical verification, even after Yamamura Miki's warning, Morishita Ai pressed forward without hesitation and chose the most direct method available — cutting the onion outright.
Crack. The knife came down in one swift stroke.
Barely three seconds later, an invisible, stinging wave swept into Morishita Ai's eyes. The girl who had looked so solemn a moment ago now had those violet eyes instantly glazed over with a watery sheen, glistening teardrops spilling down without pause, her delicate face flushing red from the sting — an involuntary whimper even escaped her. It was equal parts ridiculous and adorable.
Shikime Natsu, watching all of this, couldn't hold back his laughter, and spoke to the girl who was furiously wiping her eyes and forcing them to stay open all at once.
"Didn't Yamamura-san already warn you? How did Morishita-san still manage to fall for it?"
Honestly, Shikime Natsu hadn't expected the prank to work — after all, Yamamura Miki had spelled it all out. And yet Morishita Ai had gone and cut the onion anyway. Knowing full well there was a tiger on the mountain, she still walked right into its den. Or was it that the girl simply wanted to entertain him?
Morishita Ai set down the knife in a huff, eyes red-rimmed, and shouted at Shikime Natsu.
"Shikime Natsu is truly a person of appalling character! Standing by and watching me walk straight into a biological hazard trap like that! As of now, in Morishita Ai's rating system, Shikime Natsu has been classified as Extremely Dangerous — massive point deduction!"
Shikime Natsu shrugged, the picture of innocence.
"This is entirely Morishita-san's own problem — it has absolutely nothing to do with me~ Yamamura-san already told you exactly what to do, and yet Morishita-san went ahead and did it to herself anyway. That's on Morishita-san."
Yamamura Miki, looking a little embarrassed, quietly chimed in from the side.
"This... this really isn't Shiki-san's fault. I did say so just now..."
Morishita Ai turned to look at Yamamura Miki, her tone forlorn.
"So that's how it is. Yamamura Miki truly stands firmly on Shikime Natsu's side after all. It seems the virus known as 'love-brain' has already eaten you hollow — you're a hopeless case. Choosing romance over friendship without a second thought."
These blunt words sent Yamamura Miki's face flaring red all over again. She shrank into herself, wishing she could deploy her presence-erasing technique one more time — every single time she opened her mouth, Morishita Ai zeroed in on her with unerring precision.
Shikime Natsu, smiling, took the remaining onion and deftly soaked it to neutralize the sting as he worked, speaking as he did.
"Alright, leave the rest to me from here. Our brave soldier who was forced to retire due to an on-the-job injury should go sit down and rest."
Before long, Shikime Natsu had swiftly and cleanly finished preparing all the dishes.
As a tantalizing aroma drifted through the dorm room, several dishes — beautiful in color, fragrance, and flavor alike — were set out on the table.
Shikime Natsu remembered all too well what Morishita Ai had said the last time he'd served her a meal. So, just as she looked ready to deliver her verdict once more, he spoke first.
"Don't worry — I haven't put anything strange in it."
Morishita Ai looked at Shikime Natsu, a clear flash of vexation passing through those violet eyes — this guy had preempted and cut off her ritual incantation before she could even begin it. That was absolutely outrageous. Was he really going to leave the supporting character with no screen time at all? Shikime Natsu was a thoroughly unreasonable person. Another point deduction!
Shikime Natsu's cooking was, as ever, exceptionally good. Even the same dishes, when made by his hands, never seemed to get old — and somehow, no matter how much was served, it all went down without trouble.
After the meal was finished, Morishita Ai set down her chopsticks with elegant composure and offered her assessment.
"Shikime Natsu, your culinary skills haven't lost a step. Morishita Ai has decided to forgive your childish little prank from earlier."
Shikime Natsu only smiled. As he recalled, hadn't Morishita Ai eaten his bento at lunch just this very afternoon? A few hours had barely passed — how had "not losing a step" already entered the picture?
And what was this about a "childish little prank"? If anything, the truly childish behavior today had been carried out by a certain someone herself.
Yamamura Miki proactively asked where Morishita Ai kept her cups, then dutifully washed them clean, arranged them neatly on the table, and poured out the orange juice and Pocari Sweat the three of them had bought earlier.
Shikime Natsu offered a word of thanks to the considerate girl.
"Thank you, Yamamura-san."
Morishita Ai gave a nod of her own.
"Yamamura Miki did well. Logistical support was excellent."
Then she abruptly changed course and turned to address Yamamura Miki.
"Now then... Yamamura Miki, I have a very serious question for you. Has Shikime Natsu already conquered Yamamura Miki's stomach?"
Hearing Morishita Ai suddenly ask her such a pointed question, Yamamura Miki froze on the spot. She recalled what Morishita Ai had said before they came to the dorm — something along the lines of "to be taken into Shikime Natsu's harem, the stomach must be conquered first."
Was she openly teasing her right now?
The moment the thought crossed her mind, the color rushed back into Yamamura Miki's face. She felt overwhelmingly flustered. For a girl, no matter how she thought about it, this sort of topic should have had nothing to do with her — and yet here it was, happening to her in reality.
The realization left her thoroughly conflicted. So then... what was she supposed to say?
If she said the stomach hadn't been conquered, she would surely disappoint Shikime Natsu — even hurt him. And besides, to say such a thing to someone who had just prepared a delicious meal for her would be terribly rude. A girl of Yamamura Miki's upbringing could never bring herself to say something so awful. And honestly, if she were to claim Shikime Natsu's cooking wasn't up to par, she felt certain she'd be set upon by every chef in the culinary world — his cooking was nothing short of the highest achievement the culinary arts had to offer.
Yes — that was the measure of Yamamura Miki's regard for Shikime Natsu's cooking. Quite remarkably high indeed.
But if she admitted that Shikime Natsu's cooking had completely conquered her stomach... saying that out loud felt unbearably embarrassing, especially given the teasing edge in Morishita Ai's voice right now. If she said it, she would absolutely be mercilessly tormented afterward.
Morishita Ai had of course read Yamamura Miki's inner struggle written plainly across her face. And yet... she clearly had no intention of letting her off the hook, and stepped directly to Yamamura Miki's side.
"Go ahead, Yamamura Miki. Just be honest with Shikime Natsu — cooking of this caliber couldn't possibly satisfy the discerning Yamamura Miki. Tell him to train for another hundred years before daring to challenge her palate again."
Hearing these provocative words, Yamamura Miki was terrified Shikime Natsu might genuinely take them the wrong way. She hastily raised her head, stole a careful glance at him, and refuted it loudly.
"Th-that's not true at all! Shiki-san's cooking is really delicious... it really, truly is!"
Morishita Ai's provocation had done the trick — Yamamura Miki's true answer had been dragged right out of her. But almost immediately, she began to worry all over again. Morishita Ai was sure to follow up with something to torment her next, making her go red in front of Shikime Natsu.
Even Shikime Natsu had been bracing for the same. But Morishita Ai didn't follow through with any of her usual shocking declarations — none of the "love over friendship" remarks, none of the callbacks to past moments — and that left him watching her with a look of genuine surprise.
Noticing the rather surprised look on Shikime Natsu's face, Morishita Ai raised an eyebrow.
"Shikime Natsu, that look of yours is extremely rude. Do you think Morishita Ai is some terribly impolite person, or are you trying to goad Morishita Ai into saying something outrageous to satisfy that twisted little fantasy of yours?"
These words of Morishita Ai's left nothing unsaid — hands planted on her hips, she looked altogether quite adorable.
Shikime Natsu simply smiled and replied.
"I wasn't thinking of anything impolite."
Just at that moment, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and glanced at it — a message from Sakura Airi.
"My apologies — something's come up. I'll have to excuse myself."
The two of them didn't say much, just nodded. It was, from their perspective, entirely natural. Shikime Natsu already had three girlfriends — for someone in that position to have spent this much time with two people who weren't his girlfriends was already quite the luxury.
Morishita Ai and Yamamura Miki efficiently finished cleaning up, then stood by the doorway watching Shikime Natsu carry his cooking equipment out of the room. They had thought to help him carry it back to his dorm, but... the thought of running into one of Shikime Natsu's girlfriends there made the idea feel uncomfortably awkward.
As the saying goes — kings don't meet kings. He had carried it over alone, so he would carry it back alone.
Shikime Natsu, for his part, had no complaints whatsoever. The weight was nothing to him, and on the way back he could simply switch on his presence-erasing mode — no one around him would even notice. Not a single problem.
"Thank you for the wonderful meal, Shiki-san. Goodbye."
Yamamura Miki bid him farewell.
"Shikime Natsu, you have done something truly inexcusable to Morishita Ai. Therefore, you owe Morishita Ai another meal. Otherwise, your current score in Morishita Ai's rating system is firmly in the negatives."
Morishita Ai announced.
"Sure."
Shikime Natsu smiled and nodded.
"Also... next time, Morishita Ai will take on the onion again. Just you wait."
Morishita Ai declared this to Shikime Natsu like a formal declaration of war.
"Don't worry — the onion will be waiting for you next time."
Since Morishita Ai had said as much, Shikime Natsu naturally had no objection.
Once Shikime Natsu's silhouette had faded away at the end of the corridor, Morishita Ai turned to look at Yamamura Miki beside her, her tone level.
"Yamamura Miki, I must remind you — those who hesitate are lost."
These words carried considerable weight, and Yamamura Miki understood them well enough. If she had said something different when Morishita Ai had given her that opening just now, the outcome might have shifted ever so slightly. Of course, for a shy girl like herself, that kind of declaration was absolutely, completely beyond her.
Morishita Ai knew that too. And yet... she had still said it to Yamamura Miki all the same. After all, the last person she had said "those who hesitate are lost" to had become Shikime Natsu's first girlfriend. So then... as the second person she was now saying it to, what number girlfriend would Yamamura Miki become?
"Is Morishita-san trying to set us up?"
Yamamura Miki averted her gaze slightly, letting it drift toward the scenery a short distance away, and spoke quietly.
"But... Morishita-san must also like Shiki-san, right? In the way you like someone of the opposite gender. Morishita-san keeps asking for my thoughts, encouraging me to show Shiki-san how I feel — so why doesn't Morishita-san show her own feelings?"
A flash of genuine shock passed through those violet eyes of Morishita Ai's. She clearly hadn't expected Yamamura Miki to ask something like that. Was this really the Yamamura Miki she knew? The same girl who had been blushing furiously just moments ago?
"Sorry... I spoke out of turn."
Realizing she'd said a little too much, Yamamura Miki was quick to apologize.
"No — I am merely an observer. An observer has no need for personal feelings."
Morishita Ai stated with righteous conviction.
Hearing these words, Yamamura Miki couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh. Still being stubborn.
If she truly had no feelings, then why had she just made plans with Shikime Natsu to cook together again next time?
____
👻🔥Here: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Samsara Game: Starting with Shirogane Kei
We have set new community milestones:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for all readers