Chapter 199

Thankfully, he acquired this fighting force at almost free, only paying for the apartment rent and free meals and snacks—not much at all.

If I had to say something, there's also his body... I still feel like he's at a disadvantage, doesn't that mean?

Just then, Shiina Mashiro, who was halfway through drawing and about to get Drinks, looked up and noticed his presence.

"Talent?" She tilted her head. "When did you acquire it?"

"Just now." He put down the tablet files he had roughly scanned; there weren't many, after all, good paintings take a lot of time to complete.

Although there were two of them, the sheer volume of design work, coupled with the extremely short timeframe, meant that it was impossible for them to produce much.

Their conversation also caught the attention of Eriri, who was wearing a green vest. She looked up at them with a slightly weary gaze, her delicate mixed-race features framed by black-rimmed glasses. "You're here."

"..." Sakurakoji Talent looked at her silently for a while, then asked Kokoro, "Are you alright, Sawamura-kun?"

No, if you really push yourself this hard, he'll be very troubled. What if she suddenly dies here? Wouldn't that cause a diplomatic incident?

"It's nothing, I just have too many things to worry about lately, and I'm a little short of energy." Eriri took off her glasses, rubbed the corners of her eyes, and looked tired.

While Shiina Mashiro's drawing skills were undoubtedly excellent, she was completely clueless about the subject matter and lacked any common sense. In the beginning, she was almost entirely taught by Shiina herself.

She also needs to coordinate character design and background research after reading the script; in fact, she is the head of the Art Group.

However, since this was her first time making a game, she needed to learn many things on her own.

Studying, working, teaching, and keeping up with school... it's no wonder you're exhausted.

Only in the last few days has Shiina Mashiro recovered slightly and been able to work on certain projects independently, which has relieved some of her stress.

But because of the incident at the school gate a couple of days ago, her childhood sweetheart has been bothering her again these past two days, asking her about the specifics, which has left her feeling a bit confused.

In the end, she chose the very attractive job here, and briefly explained her reasons to him, saying she probably wouldn't bother him again anytime soon.

Chapter 253 Going to mooch dinner from Ashiri

"I see. But you should also take care of your health while you're working. It's okay if the progress is a little slower." He comforted her in the same way he comforted Aoyama Nanami.

"And Mashiro too."

His hand unconsciously rested on Shiina Mashiro hair, comfortably stroking her head, causing her to squint her eyes slightly and reveal a somewhat blissful expression—from his perspective, she really did look like a cat.

Could she really be a catgirl in human form? He stood there pondering, deciding to call her his guardian catgirl Mashiro, from now on.

Looks like we won't have to yell at the cat anymore, "Transform for me!"

If we dress her in specially made clothes, as she's a pet girl, that should achieve the desired effect, right?

He imagined the scene... wouldn't that be a bit too exciting?

Their eyes met in a deep, orange-red gaze, and neither gave an inch, exchanging barbs.

In the end, he was the first to give in. There was no way around it; the evil one already had a bit of a guilty conscience before he even started.

However, her adorable, bewildered expression made him want to feed her. Was there any food around?

"It's alright. After all, it's a paid job. If you don't work hard, you won't be able to build a reputation in the industry. Besides, the working environment here is very good." Eriri leaned back in her chair, Hands, and looked up at him, her gaze slightly...

"Besides, this is something I wanted to do myself. The story you wrote is really good; it will be an excellent work—I, I have a feeling it!"

Towards the end, her speech quickened and her tone rose considerably, making it sound less like a statement and a compliment.

As soon as he finished praising her, her haughty side kicked in. She blushed and turned her head away, refusing to look at him again.

"Opportunities to participate in works of this caliber are rare, so of course I have to give it my all!" She didn't turn her head back, but her voice was eager and full of passion.

"And although I don't want to praise her, Kasumigaoka Utaha's writing is quite good, as is Mashiro's extraordinary drawing skills, and your excellent music!"

"If this doesn't sell well, this industry might as well just explode!"

At this point, it wasn't just a premonition, it was certain. She clenched her fists, making a gesture in the air, her eyes filled with fighting spirit and anticipation for the release day.

Compared to the sense of accomplishment and anticipation I feel now, all those broken bonds and feelings, all those doujinshi and fanfiction, all that school... to hell with them all!

With this work, Eriri will ascend to the pinnacle of the Gal (gal) industry!!!

"I'm relieved that you're so confident; I feel the same way." Realizing that her condition wasn't as bad as he had thought, he blinked and felt a little relieved.

"Yoshi! Let's win this year's best title together!"

"Of course! No need to ask!" Eriri turned her head sharply, flicking her hair, but he dodged it and declared her victory.

"Oh~~~" Shiina Mashiro glanced at the two of them, and after assessing the atmosphere, raised her hand and exclaimed softly, her voice as low as a cat's meow.

After browsing around the studio, he chose to leave quietly so as not to disturb them.

He walked out of the room into the hallway and made a phone call to his younger sister (his biological sister).

Beep~ Beep~

The phone was answered after only a few rings.

"Moshi Moshi, elder brother?"

A gentle, elegant voice, soft and sweet, traveled from the other end of the phone, through countless electromagnetic waves, to reach his ear.

That was the voice of his dearest, Imouto beloved sister, the voice he had heard since childhood.

Ah~

I never imagined that the little kid who was so tiny back then, with snot running down his nose, clutching his clothes and following behind him, has grown into such a cute and big boy.

The thought of this made him, as the older brother, feel...

That child, he watched him grow up...

"Brother?" Sakurakoji Ashiri, unaware of his unnecessary inner monologue, repeated it again in confusion.

"Ah, it's me." He switched back to his normal voice in a second, breaking free from his monologue.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Ashiri's voice came again.

It was clear that she had no idea why he had suddenly contacted her.

"Um~ Before I get to that, let me ask you something, is Rumin-jie with you?"

"Rumin? No, she's not here. But I think she's probably resting or practicing in her room right now, because we have a tea party on the rooftop tonight."

Based on the information she had, Ashiri gave her guess.

"I see," Sakurakoji Talent blinked slightly, putting his index finger to his lips, "I understand, um, Ashiri."

"Yes?"

"It's almost dinner time, right? What are you planning to eat later?"

"Hmm, nothing special. I'm in the kitchen, getting ready to cook some simple dishes myself."

"Really? No wonder there seemed to be some background noise."

"Eh~ Yes, Kuyachiyo is holding my phone for me right now, so I can't leave my hands for a while."

On the other end of the phone, in the kitchen on the 65th floor of the apartment building, Sakurakoji Ashiri stood in front of the counter, her Hands slightly stained.

Behind her was Yamabuki Kuyachiyo, who was slightly bowing Hands holding her phone in her hands.

For other nobles and wealthy people, it might be quite unusual for their masters to cook for themselves. But in their home, it was actually quite common.

One reason is that their mother Sakurakoji Luna, really loves her father's cooking. So even though there's a professional chef at the mansion, their father, Okura Yusei, often cooks for them himself.

My mother is a gifted but utterly useless person when it comes to daily life; she's practically incompetent in everything.

Due to health reasons, my brother is excellent at housework but rarely cooks unless they beg him to.

She herself was purely interested in it. Although her cooking skills at home were only third best, just a little better than her mother's, she still chose to study Western-style pastry.

However, this doesn't mean she's bad at cooking other dishes; she's just not as good at it as she is at making desserts.

In fact, her culinary skills are unmatched among the first-year students of the culinary department at the Philia Academy.

If it were someone else, they might have given up on this path long ago because of their brother's discouragement. After all, their father's skills could be explained by age, but his approach was completely unreasonable.

Despite the combined effects of her age, bloodline, and talent over the years, Sakurakoji Talent has remained true to her original aspirations, never straying from the right path or harboring darkness in her heart. This demonstrates that she is truly a Good Child with a heart comparable to Bodhisattvas and Buddhas, and that she genuinely loves cooking.

Therefore, even though Sakurakoji Talent herself doesn't cook much, she would often ask him for advice on how to cook, thereby honing her skills.

Compared to my father, who is often busy traveling and whose skills are a notch below, it's much better to ask him for help.

He wasn't so opposed to things that only required talking; all she had to do was tug at his sleeve, act cute, and blink her adorable amethyst eyes.

As his only prized disciple, Sakurakoji Ashiri's strength can be said to be unmatched among his peers and is rapidly approaching that of the older generation!

I believe that in the near Mirai, she will be able to stage a scene of filial piety, wielding a kitchen knife to challenge her own father and reclaim the title of second best cook in the family!

Ashiri: Dual-wielding swords, a shower of blossoms!

Times have changed! Get ready, old man! Today I'm going to kill you!

As for Sakurakoji Talent watching from the sidelines—he's truly delighted to see it happen, just thinking about it makes him happy!

My little sister is such a lovely and polite child!

In terms of kindness and purity, even the so-called saint in the room behind him, and the milk dragon still overseas, are not even a tenth as good as his own sister!

Hmph~ In today's society, how many twins can have such a close and peaceful relationship, like brothers and sisters?

The light blue-haired older sister next door, who's jealous and envious of her younger sister's talent, should take note!

Of course, if his and Ashiri's talents and aptitudes were swapped, then it would be as if he had never said anything.

He lacked the confidence that she could be as indifferent as he was, feeling guilty towards him and even willing to sacrifice everything for him... Had his younger sister suffered brain damage from a childhood fever?

Isn't this just a total lapdog of his older brother?

No, although he was the one being licked, he still felt quite comfortable.

But objectively speaking, this is just too much... Sakurakoji Talent, unable to put his words into words.

"Then I'll trouble you to cook a couple more dishes. I think I'll be bringing Rumin-jie to your place for dinner later."

He waved his hand, shaking off these random thoughts, and continued.

"Brother, are you coming for dinner? Great! I, Ashiri, will definitely give it my all in cooking!" Ashiri's voice became cheerful, his enthusiasm far exceeding what it had been before.

During this period, because they were separated, she rarely had the chance to sit down and eat with him.

"Then I'll look forward to it!"

"Please leave it to me with confidence!"

After hanging up the phone, he smiled gently and pressed the elevator button.

Instead of calling, let's just go up and take her there.

But,

Perhaps because he had just spoken to his biological sister on the phone, he naturally thought of his godmother.

It's been almost two weeks since school started, and I haven't seen her in over a week.

As someone I just adopted as a sister, isn't it incredibly inhumane of me to become so cold towards her so quickly?

But I've Okura Iyo this weekend. It's supposed to be for just one day, but I can't be sure. What should I do?

If he knew Shiina Mahiru in a normal way, he could introduce her to a Relatives, but given Ogura Asahi's status, it's impossible because he would be socially condemned and collectively attacked.

If I don't see him this week, I'll have to wait until next weekend, or after school on weekdays. But who knows what might happen next week? He has to go to work or go on dates...

Ugh, students are such a hassle. They're only free during the day on weekends, unlike Kawaragi Momoka and the others, who can go anytime.

Is this perhaps their only unique advantage?

This makes him extremely busy every weekend, and he doesn't know where to spend his time.

Chapter 254 Siblings at the Dinner Table

"Welcome, elder brother, and Rumin elder sister."