Chapter 106
She washed up using the new toothbrush Alte had given him the night before, along with her own face wash, and then went to check on her.
She was still fast asleep on the soft bed, her legs straddling a pillow, her expression relaxed and carefree, as if she were enjoying herself. Even though he had made some noise, her eyes remained closed, her eyelashes not fluttering at all, showing no signs of waking up.
A lightly draped, patterned fleece blanket covered her abdomen. Luckily, the weather was starting to warm up, so she shouldn't catch a cold. This was the position she was in.
Even Sakurakoji Talent couldn't help but sigh, "No wonder she's Starry recognized as the most mature and composed woman in the world!"
However, in that case, there was no point in you being in such a hurry to pack up last night. He shook his head with pity; it seems that people in the world love to do these futile, self-deceiving efforts.
Sunlight streamed through the clear glass into the room, dappling the floor. The Sleeping Beauty, with her mysterious dark purple hues, lay peacefully on her bed, the only sound the soft breathing of her lips, like an illustration from a fairy tale.
He blinked, imprinting the beautiful morning scene into his mind, and left satisfied—don't misunderstand, this was purely an appreciation of beauty, without a trace of desire mixed in.
The evidence is that just seeing such a scene inspired him to come up with more than a dozen different ways to draw design sketches.
I took out my phone and checked it; there was still some time before 10 o'clock.
Leaving without a word seemed too heartless and impolite, and although he didn't really want to, he would consider it a way of repaying the kindness of letting him sleep there for the night.
He picked up the room key that Alte had placed on the table, walked to the entrance, changed his shoes, went out, and then quietly closed the door behind him before leaving.
Half an hour later,
The sound of a key turning came from the front door, Sakurakoji Talent walked in carrying a large bag of groceries, which contained vegetables, meat, and eggs he had bought from a nearby supermarket.
He quietly approached the bedside and found the languid Sleeping Beauty still asleep; it seemed she wouldn't wake up until he started cooking.
Without calling her, he went straight to the kitchen and began washing, preparing, and chopping the vegetables.
Fortunately, although she doesn't cook much, she bought all the basic utensils and seasonings, and they were brand new—this is probably the initial misunderstanding of most people living alone.
In her drowsy state, Alte seemed to hear the sound of a cooking fire and the occasional clanging of metal, but these could not wake her; they could only be regarded as a lullaby.
Until, wisps of alluring fragrance traveled through the pervasive airflow and reached the tip of her delicate, smooth nose.
"... fried pork chop."
"... Tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet)."
"... Pork bone miso soup."
"... What is this? I've never smelled it before."
Curiosity filled her mind, and under the influence of questions, her long eyelashes began to tremble as she slowly opened her eyes. After a two-minute period of confusion, she slowly sat up.
"What's that smell? It smells so good!" Finally, his brain kicked in, and facing the familiar ceiling above him and the unfamiliar smell of cooking, Alte exclaimed in surprise.
She got out of bed, intending to go straight out, but a cool sensation on her skin made her realize something and she quickly looked for her clothes.
Five minutes later,
"What's this?" She skipped and hopped into the kitchen after getting dressed. "Talent, are you cooking?"
"Well, it's almost noon. I saw you were still sleeping, so I didn't want to leave right away. I went downstairs and bought some groceries."
"Haha... I'm sorry, I just can't get up in the morning." She awkwardly tucked her signature long sleeves behind her head and gave a dry laugh. "I've tried many methods, but nothing has worked. That's why I dropped out of high school."
"So I'm very happy with working the night shift now, because I finally don't have to get up in the morning!"
"Oh, I see. I thought it was because you stayed up too late playing games with me last night." He ladled the cooked dishes from the pot into a ceramic serving dish.
He was speechless, feeling that her reason for dropping out of school was the most outrageous he had ever heard.
"That's one reason, but I don't think I could get up even without it. I'm quite confident about this!"
"Does this require confidence...? Well, the food is almost ready. Go and prepare it, then let's eat."
"Hi~~" she hummed softly, then ran towards the bathroom.
"Oh my god!!!" Alte happily covered his cheek as he picked up a piece of char siu and put it in his mouth, savoring the delicious taste in his empty mouth.
"I can't even remember the last time I ate a home-cooked meal, and it was so delicious! Ah, I could die happy."
"That's too much, Alte." Sakurakoji Talent, who was used to being praised, shook his head helplessly and continued eating.
"No! Not an exaggeration at all! You don't know, I'm almost tired of eating bento boxes and takeout every day, ugh~" Her expression was always cheerful when she picked up food.
"This is delicious too! You're so Talent! It turns out you're not just good at desserts, you're also so good at home-cooked meals!"
"Eat as much as you like."
"Hmm! Leave it to me! I'll eat them all! Ah~ the soup is super delicious too~" Alte's eyes darted around, looking like he was about to ascend to heaven.
"It's so delicious I almost cried. I wish I could eat Talent's cooking every day."
"Um?"
"Ah, it's nothing!!" Alte blushed and quickly buried his head in his rice.
What am I even saying? Doesn't this sound like a confession?!
However, if Talent really agrees, it doesn't seem like there's anything wrong with confessing first, since she already has feelings for him anyway.
Not only do we share many common interests, but we also enjoy playing games together. She doesn't mind that I can't get up in the morning, cooks delicious meals for me, has a gentle personality, and is impeccably beautiful. We even work in the same field. If we lived together, we could be together 24/7...
His teeth are so white! Looking at it this way, isn't he practically the perfect partner for me?
She was certain that no one else in the Mirai would meet her criteria as well as him!
This brings to mind the comments during last night's live stream where someone asked if they were dating, and the question of whether Sakurakoji Talent was pretending to be a novice to pursue her.
If only that were true...
For the remainder of the meal, the two remained silent.
How should I spend the afternoon?
After washing the dishes, Sakurakoji Talent wiped the water off her hands with a dry cloth and asked Alte.
Since it was already afternoon and he had to go to work in the evening, he didn't plan to go back to his apartment. He would just borrow Alte's suit to take care of the cleaning and grooming issues.
Fortunately, she had a wide variety of cosmetics and cleaning tools, and they were of a high quality, which was more than enough to meet her needs.
"Ah, ah? Um..." Alte, who had been staring at him, was startled by his sudden question. After realizing what he meant, he quickly came up with a clever idea. "How about Then Let's Continue playing the game?"
Want to play games?
"Don't... don't you like it?" she asked nervously and Kokoro.
"No, you're right. I also got a bit of a feel for it last night, and it seems like it would be good to practice a bit more." He considered for a moment and readily agreed.
"There!" Alte exclaimed in surprise, raising his hand in front of him.
"Okay! Let's play until we go to work! Turn on the machine! I'm definitely going to get to Silver this afternoon!"
"Oh!"
After playing games all afternoon, the two arrived at the Starry at the same time in the evening, which attracted someone's attention.
"Hmm, what's up? Did you two arrive together today? That's rare." Ichiji Hoshika, with a lollipop in her mouth, was surprised to see the two of them enter at the same time.
"Hmm, hmm! What a coincidence today! Right, Talent?" PA was startled, thinking about the trouble and consequences that might arise if this were exposed, and secretly tugged at his sleeve from behind, signaling with her eyes.
While it's fine to be teased about workplace romances, that's only true if the two people are actually in that kind of relationship. If they're already making unfounded assumptions, then Talent probably won't be happy, PA thought to herself...
"... Who says otherwise? It's quite a coincidence to run into you at the door. Al and I... and Miss PA are really on the same wavelength today!" He smirked and echoed her.
"That's right, hahaha..."
"Hmm?" Ichiji Hoshika frowned slightly, finding the scene a bit strange, but unable to guess what had happened, she could only let it go.
"Alright, let's get started now that we're here. There's a new band performing today, PA, come and check out their music."
"Got it, I'll be right there!"
Seeing that she didn't think in that direction, PA breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and winked playfully at Sakurakoji Talent, then walked to her workstation.
Volume 1: The Daily Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies: Chapter 143 You'd Better Really Not Know
For the remainder of the time until the door opened, the group remained mostly at peace, and Ichiji Hoshika didn't say anything more, seemingly no different from usual.
Except for the occasional time when their eyes meet, she will first smile and nod shyly, then awkwardly look away.
But this should be within the acceptable margin of error, right?
It should be fine in a few days, so he decided to leave it for now.
While selling food in the evening, Sakurakoji Talent encountered several other unexpected people.
"Accident?"
"Accident."
"Were you startled?"
"Really?"
"Hehe! Then I've achieved my goal!" The newcomer covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her beautiful face instantly blossoming into the most beautiful flower.
"I'm sorry, Sakurakoji-kun, this child insisted on dragging us along. Is she bothering you?" Kogisora Akina looked at her daughter with a puzzled expression and explained.
"No, not at all! I'm very happy to welcome you, Auntie, it's just—it's a bit of a surprise."
"Hey, Sakurakoji- Bro, I'm here to join the fun too!"
"Takhiro- kun, you're welcome to come too." Sakurakoji Talent greeted him with a smile.
The visitors were none other than Kogisora Yukina and her family; apart from her father, who disliked crowds, all three of them were present.
"No, what do you mean I have to drag you guys along? You're clearly interested too," Kogisora Yukina pouted in dissatisfaction.
"None of that matters. Hurry up and order, don't disturb the customers behind you!" Kogisora Akina snapped.
"Ah, let's change the subject, Mom," Kogisora Yukina said, turning to Sakurakoji Talent. "Talent-kun, bring me all the most expensive items in the store! Put it on her tab today!"
"You child!"
"..."
Amidst laughter and playful banter, the three were careful not to disturb his work. After ordering, they moved to the side and, with the help of Kogisora Yukina, a regular customer, learned about the layout and performance schedule.
They returned here after a period of time when no one placed any orders.
"Talent-kun, we're back!"
"Welcome back, Sergeant Yukina! Have you finished explaining the battle terrain to your aunt and Takhiro?"
"Of course, General! Mission accomplished perfectly!"
"As expected of you! Excellent, Sergeant Yukina!"
Thank you for your compliment!
"..."
The two exchanged a chuckle, ending the comical little skit, while the other two also couldn't help but laugh.
"All the food here is made by Sakurakoji-kun, it's all so delicious! No wonder Yukina keeps talking about it at home." Kogisora Akina ate her pudding discreetly, genuinely praising it.
"Really! I thought desserts were all too sweet, but I could eat as much of this as I wanted!" Kogisora Takhiro quickly finished the last Coffee Jelly in his hand.
Thank you for your compliments.
"Sakurakoji- Bro, do you still have this?"
"Yes, I'll get it for you right away."
After a while, the two sides exchanged views.
"But why is Sakurakoji- Bro wearing a mask?" Kogisora Takhiro suddenly asked, intrigued by his unusual attire. "Is it a unique feature here? But none of the other staff members seem to be wearing them..."
"Ah, that..." Kogisora Yukina covered her mouth and chuckled, explaining quietly to them before Sakurakoji Talent could even speak.