Chapter 168
A moment later, Ichiji Hoshika trembled, her face flushed crimson, but one thing was certain: it meant something different from before.
"How are you going to clean this up now, you idiot?!"
She mustered all her strength, raised her knee, and struck him squarely in the abdomen without holding back. Instantly, Sakurakoji Talent, his features almost flying off his handsome face as he collapsed to the ground.
"Puff!!!"
He clutched his stomach with one hand, while the other trembled as he supported himself on the ground, his expression filled with grief and indignation.
Three seconds!
I was just three seconds away from victory!
Why!!
"Hmph!" Ichiji Hoshika didn't even turn her head or look at him. She casually tossed her waist-length golden hair and swaggered off in the direction PA had left with an air of dominance.
At the same time,
In a studio apartment in Sangenjaya, Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, some distance from Shimokitazawa.
Sitting in front of the screen, wearing headphones and sketching on a blank sheet of musical notation with a pencil in hand, Hachiman Kairin glanced at her phone. The time on the screen had changed exactly from 17:59 to 18:00.
Since she had nothing to do today, she went back to her small apartment as soon as school was over.
The Small Apartment with a private bathroom has a desk and chair against the wall next to the bed, with a computer. Apart from the wardrobe and other furnishings, the remaining space, excluding the aisle, is just enough for her to put some musical instruments and equipment.
Although there is a kitchen counter, she rarely cooks for herself.
The room isn't big, but the rent is around 100,000 yen a month. Considering the location, there's no other way.
She didn't care much about the size of the space; it was more than enough for her alone, and besides, she didn't spend most of her time there. When she was here, she only used the computer to study music, except when she was sleeping.
The main reason is the location; it's very convenient for her to work part-time with the bands she supports in various places, so she has no complaints.
Although she is picky about musical instruments and clothing, she is not particularly demanding about her living environment.
Seeing that it was time to leave, although she wasn't very hungry, she still regularly took off her headphones and the Bass hanging in front of her, got up and walked to the kitchen counter.
I filled Tuba plastic cup with Purified water and reached for the protein powder and compressed biscuits that I was used to drinking.
Suddenly, her peripheral vision caught sight of the boxes of desserts she had brought back that afternoon. Her outstretched hand froze in mid-air, her expression showing some struggle.
If it's just today, it should be fine?
Isn't all the effort we put into maintaining our figure precisely for this moment?
After a brief moment of thought, she put down her water glass, picked up two boxes of snacks, and returned to her Computer Desk.
She opened the box and frowned slightly at the bright strawberry triangle cake and brown tiramisu inside. They were both high in calories.
But too lazy to change my mind, I used the small cutlery that came with the box to plunge it hard into the soft, smooth cream!
First, work on the triangle cake. Cut off a small, milky-white triangle and place it into her delicate mouth. Gently press the skin on both sides to retain the fragrant mixture of ingredients.
The exquisite taste, infused with various premium ingredients, exploded in her mouth, causing her to unconsciously blink rapidly a few times.
She picked up the cake base, held it up to her eyes, and saw that it wasn't much different from the cakes sold in cake shops.
Why is there such a big difference in taste? She tilted her head, completely baffled.
Not only do the aromas and sweetness not interfere with each other, but even the individual fragrances of each ingredient are like ribbons of different colors, clearly captured by the taste buds.
A touch less sweetness would be unsatisfying, a touch more would be cloying; this perfect balance reflects the maker's playful personality, a penchant for dancing on the edge of a knife.
Of course, different people have different tastes. For some, this level of appreciation can only be described as a superficial taste or a mere illusion.
But if we're not just pursuing the dopamine rush from sweetness, but rather focusing on the symphony of harmony created by the purity of different ingredients—even the most discerning gourmet wouldn't be able to find anything harsh to say, right?
"As expected of her." She put the cutlery in her mouth, held the small box and carefully examined the creation, as if appraising a work of art.
Recalling the exquisitely delicious lunch that was so different from what she remembered, she couldn't help but give high praise to the classmate sitting in front of her.
If the imperial chefs of ancient times were truly as miraculous as the stories portray, they were probably nothing special.
Volume 1: The Daily Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies and Butterflies: Chapter 214 What If Your Allowance Doubles?
After studying and observing it for a while, she gave up trying to uncover the secrets hidden behind it.
Given her talent and ability, even if she tried for several years, she would still be far from achieving such a result.
She placed it back on the table, removed the small cutlery from her mouth, and prepared to continue enjoying this hard-won work of art.
The only downside is that after today, she'll have to face those tasteless frothing gels and biscuits again.
With a soft sigh, and a hint of grief and indignation in her eyes, she forcefully plunged her small knife and fork into the snow-white jade disc.
Buzz~ Buzz~
Just then, her phone, which was on the table, started to vibrate.
Because of her personality and the occasions she frequents, she doesn't like setting ringtones.
She glanced at it; it was the familiar video call interface, along with the familiar nickname and recipient.
She cut off another small piece of cake, slowly put it in her mouth, closed her eyes to enjoy it for two seconds, then sighed, and leisurely pressed the call button, but did not raise the phone to herself.
"Hai~-chan!" A voice called out from the phone first, then, realizing something was wrong, complained softly, "Why is it the ceiling? Where are you?"
"Mommy wants to see your face!"
The person who called was none other than Hachiman Kairin's mother.
Unlike her, who was in the prime of her youth, her mother, though with a sweet and gentle voice and a face that still hinted at her former beauty, had become quite "plump" after the ravages of time, her face chubby like a real baby's.
Her brown loungewear with a red bow tie suggests she should be at home.
Seeing her like this, it's not hard to guess why Hachiman Kairin controls her diet so strictly.
"Is there something you need?" Hachiman Kairin asked calmly.
Her tone was very calm, revealing no emotion, but her questions easily betrayed her impatience.
"You're asking what's wrong... Isn't today your birthday?" Kairin's Mother asked helplessly. "Did you receive the birthday present I sent you?"
Hachiman Kairin glanced at the package leaning against the wall behind the door out of the corner of her eye, finally picked up her phone, pointed it at herself, and mumbled through a plastic utensil, "Received it."
Although, it hasn't been opened yet.
"Do you like it like this?"
"It's alright."
"That's good! By the way, what's in your mouth? Are you eating?" Kairin's Mother looked worried and sighed deeply as well. "If you don't want to cook, go out for dinner and have a proper meal. Don't always stay in your room eating those things."
"Besides, isn't today your birthday? Wouldn't it be great to invite your classmates and friends to a restaurant and karaoke to celebrate?"
"It's so lonely being alone in my room like usual~"
"It's been a week since high school started, right? Have you made any new friends? You haven't even spoken to any classmates yet...?"
Hachiman Kairin's eyes darted around, her dark brows furrowed slightly, and her cheeks puffed out slightly in impatience—for her, this was quite a sign of impatience.
To ease the unpleasant atmosphere, she cut off a small piece of the white Elf, popped it into her mouth, and used the delicious taste to soothe her depressed mood.
No wonder so many girls love sweets; there's a reason for it.
When she was in a bad mood, she could really recover quickly. Her sullen expression relaxed the moment she took the fragrant and smooth medicine into her mouth.
"What are you eating? It looks delicious!" Kairin's Mother noticed her change in expression and asked curiously, "Hey~ share it with Mom~"
"Cake," Hachiman Kairin replied casually.
Kairin's Mother didn't mind; she knew her daughter's personality all too well, and continued to ask:
"Bought at a cake shop?"
"A classmate gave it to me." Hachiman Kairin swallowed the food that was almost completely melted with reluctance, and it rushed along her pink skin towards her stomach acid without any resistance.
"Oh my god~ Did that classmate know it's your birthday today?" Kairin's Mother was surprised and happy. "That's wonderful! You've made a friend so quickly this year!"
What kind of child is she?
"Yes, she sat in front of me." He neither denied that she was his friend, nor did he admit it.
And whether this answer is a defense or a rebuttal is also hard to say—what a troublesome woman!
But for some reason, she felt a little inclined to share information about Ogura Asahi with others, even if those people were her parents.
This complex emotion is something she may not have experienced since elementary school.
After mentally reviewing the information about Ogura Asahi, she drooped her eyelids, because she suddenly realized that it was difficult to describe exactly what kind of person she was.
"She's a very beautiful woman with silver hair, comes from a wealthy family, and is ranked first in her grade." After thinking for a moment, she could only provide the information that was already clear.
"Oh my! Just from that, I know she's exceptionally talented!" Kairin's Mother exclaimed in surprise, covering her mouth. "Could she be a young lady from a wealthy family?"
"Um."
"Really? Ah~ What a wonderful potential friend! It's so great that he's willing to be your friend!" Kairin's Mother clapped her hands together and jumped for joy, happy that her daughter's social circle was finally showing positive changes.
"So? She brought you a cake at school today? Or did you two go shopping together after school to buy it?"
"Mom, I hope it's the latter. If you're going shopping together, you should have dinner with her before coming back!"
"Going on a date with friends after school is a youthful and romantic thing!"
"..."
To her incredibly excited mother, Hachiman Kairin was too embarrassed to tell her that even if she wanted to, it wouldn't matter, because the other girl had brazenly left early in front of the teacher before school ended.
"She brought it to school for me. She had to leave before school ended, but she treated me to a homemade lunch and also gave me a dress she designed herself." After thinking for a moment, she added, "The cake was also homemade."
After hearing her explanation, Kairin's Mother was taken aback, her chubby eyes widening in surprise. "Oh my!"
"Mom, I take back what I just said! Isn't this super romantic?!"
"Compared to gifts bought in stores, handmade gifts definitely feel the most special, don't they?! Should I make something for Dad's birthday next time?"
"Ah, but even if it doesn't taste good, don't be too harsh on her! After all, it's already a rare privilege for such a young lady to make something for you herself!"
Kairin's Mother then worriedly lectured her, fearing that her eccentric daughter would squander the other party's good intentions.
Hachiman Kairin blinked rapidly. The taste wasn't good? Her?
You have absolutely no idea how good it tastes! It's absolutely delicious!
"No... her cooking tastes really good." Hachiman Kairin scratched her dark hair, picked up the small cake, and was slightly speechless.
If you hadn't tasted it yourself, who would have thought that the young lady's cooking skills were even better than those of professional Michelin-starred chefs?
That's absolutely unreasonable.
"Really? That's good." Kairin's Mother breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest in satisfaction. "Oh, right!"
She seemed to remember something else, and with delight and curiosity, she moved closer to the screen. Her round face suddenly magnified on the screen, causing Hachiman Kairin's expression to become subtle.
"You said she also gave you clothes, right? Here, try them on and let Mom see!"
"Mommy's really curious! Okay? Hey~ Oh my gosh~"
Hachiman Kairin paused in her eating, her body stiffening slightly.
Although she wanted to talk about Ogura Asahi, wasn't it too embarrassing to change clothes and show off in front of her mother? She's not a child anymore!
Without even thinking, she refused, "My phone's almost out of battery, I have to hang up."
"Eh?! Wait, wait a minute!" Kairin's Mother hurriedly stopped her, her voice panicked.
"Is there anything else?" Hachiman Kairin frowned, looking impatient.
As a mother, she knew her daughter better than anyone, especially considering how naive and straightforward her methods were...
"Well, how about this? If Hai-chan is willing to wear that outfit for Mom, her allowance this month will be doubled! How about it!"
A bead of cold sweat dripped from Kairin's Mother's forehead as she smiled and offered her advice.
Seeing that normal requests weren't working, she started using her financial power!
Although it's a cliché, it's undeniably effective, even against someone like Hachiman Kairin.
Ugh! Hachiman Kairin leaned her head back forcefully and slumped heavily into the seat.
Damn it, they actually used that trick!